The novel takes place on an isolated sheep station on the South Island of New Zealand during the 1970s. The station is located inland from the east coast within sight of the rugged Kaikora Mountain Range. The characters invade vast, uninhabited territory that few people enter except to muster sheep during the fall roundup. Snowfed rivers, thick brush, impenetrable forests, fierce winds, avalanches, and wild boars and goats challenge the humans and domesticated animals that enter their domain. Consequently, the human concerns of the characters often become overwhelmed by the indifferent forces of nature.