Life on the land is a study in contrasts: shadow and light, abundance and blight, the transcendent moment eroded by the persistence of time. And it's against this backdrop, in the shearing sheds of Eureka Station, across the sweeping hills and lagoons of the Flintlock district and the fleeting camaraderie of the Five Alls pub, that men play out their fates, conduct their affairs and hope for the best.