The Carmodys are camped in the Snowy Mountains beside a farm that’s for sale. Paddy (Robert Mitchum) explains why owning a farm is a recipe for misery.

Ida sends Jean Halstead (Dina Merrill) to town to fetch Bluey Brown from the pub. Bluey’s wife is in labour and Paddy (Robert Mitchum) is under strict instructions to keep him sober.

Saturday 18 January 2003 was hot, windy and dry with a forecast of 40°C temperatures and winds exceeding 60 kilometres per hour.