After spending a year teaching in a remote one-room school in the Outback, John Grant is on his way back to Sydney. However, his journey is abruptly interrupted when he accidentally hits a kangaroo, leaving him stranded in a small mining town while his car is being fixed. With not much else to occupy his time, John is drawn into a lively and illicit game of two-up. Initially, he experiences a thrilling run of success, but soon he loses all his winnings, setting off a perilous chain of events that leave him shattered and in despair.