Roimata, a young Maori woman from the East Coast, travels to the city to meet her half-sister Girlie. Introduced to gang members, the scene is set for a major confrontation when Kevin, a young Salvation Army Officer, arrives.
E Tipu e Rea (Grow up tender young shoot) is a series of 30 minute dramas touching on a range of Māori experiences of the Pākehā world — from rural horse-back riding and eeling, to urban hostility and cultural estrangement.