It was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime. But the passengers who boarded a magnificent sailing boat for an island-hopping tour of the South Pacific soon found otherwise. They were on a voyage into hell.

Crawford Productions, in association with the Seven Network and Paramount Pictures proudly present TRIBE, a four hour miniseries of action, adventure, betrayal and romance

Tribe Part 1

In the backwaters of the South Pacific, a Vietnamese family ekes out a meagre living, fishing the seas that have supported them for generations. But the appearance of a shark boat, captained by Jacques Duras, puts an end to this.

Jacques Duras is a modern day pirate and he and his band of international misfits and thugs exist by taking from others - taking their boats, their money, their belongings - regardless of how much blood has to be shed in the process. Duras wipes out the entire Vietnamese family, bar the pretty young daughter, Minh-Tam, whom he rapes viciously before leaving for dead.

Nearby, on the picture-perfect Pacific island of Port St Malo, Captain John Brava, his wife Gina, son Carlo and hired help Jack Osborne are readying themselves to begin another voyage onboard their magnificent sailing boat, the Sea Tramp. Island hopping tours are the Sea Tramp's specialty, and travellers from all walks of life, from all over the world, come to Port St Malo to join the Bravas for what should be the holiday of a lifetime. As expected, the passenger list this time around is as varied and as lively as ever.

There is the charming and likeable Australian lawyer-turned-political candidate , Ralph Leydon and his arrogant and equally unlikeable French girlfriend Lucille Fournier, a United Nations translator. There are the newlyweds Andrew and Jill, a young couple from the Australian bush who are spending more time in their quarters than watching the horizon.

There are the Swedish backpackers Eva and Helga, free spirits if ever there were. There's the sharp-tongued young Aussie tourist Marie Sinclair and her gorgeous but vacuous buddy Sandy, a lithesome blonde who has already won the heart of the young Carlo Brava.

And there's the outspoken, no nonsense missionary nun, Sister Margaret, who's on her way to a nearby island, where she'll check the building progress of a new church school. But as they set sail for their holiday of a lifetime, the Sea Tramp comes upon the eerily empty fishing trawler.

When Captain Brava and Jack go onboard to investigate they discover Minh-Tam - who lunges at them, protecting herself with a knife. She appears to speak no English but, on board the Sea Tramp, Lucille is able to translate her horrifying experience to Captain Brava. Captain Brava appoints Carlo to watch the radar for the pirates, certain they will come after the Sea Tramp should they discover it is in the area. They do. When Carlo is distracted by the amorous Sandy, the pirates strike. In the ensuing bloody battle Sandy and Carlo are shot dead and the others seek refuge in the water.

In the quiet darkness of the ocean, Jill is clinging to the remains of a life raft when Ralph - without a life jacket and struggling to stay afloat - frantically swims over. He knows the raft will only keep one person above water. And he's determined that person will be him. With a swift punch, he slams his fist into Jill's head. As she struggles to grab the raft, Ralph grabs her. And he cleanly breaks her neck. Jill's body drifts off and Ralph notices, in the distance, the wide and horrified eyes of Minh-Tam upon him. Come morning, the survivors (and the dead) are washing up on the shore of a pristine island.

Andrew grieves for his wife, not knowing the real reason for her death. Gina grieves for her son. Captain Brava rallies all together and implores upon them the need to stick together to survive. The pirates are still circling the bay. As the weeks pass, the survivors learn to cope with their environment. They build shelters, search for food and begin to build a raft as a means of escape. Minh-Tam lives in fear of Ralph.

When Marie and Captain Brava head off down a track into a part of the rainforest they've not yet traversed before, Captain Brava crosses a carpet of leaves and vines. As the rainforest floor collapses beneath him he disappears. Captain Brava has found a booby-trap which has laid dormant since World War II. And it has killed him. Lucille realises that if there is one primitive trap - there'll be more - and it's not long before she finds one. But Lucille also finds a cave, the tomb of a Japanese captain named Masashi. Here she reads his diaries and finds inspiration in the life of the forgotten soldier.

Ralph continues to stalk Minh-Tam and she flees into the jungle in terror. When Jack goes looking for her, she save his life - warning him off another booby trap. He finally offers her his friendship and she confides in him what she saw in the water the night of the pirates' ambush. Back at camp, Jack reveals the truth about Ralph. While Andrew wants him dead, the tribe decides to banish him from their camp. But as Ralph sets off to the other side of the island to set up his own camp, he vows revenge.

Tribe Part 2

The pirates return to the island and Duras callously shoots two men he is holding captive - two more victims of this vicious gang. After the shark boat departs, the Sea Tramp survivors - now as supportive of each other as any tribe could be - search the two bodies and are delighted to find a compass. Andrew commandeers the dead man's trousers and Jack, mysteriously, takes one man's gold ring. They all agree traps need to be set to protect them from Duras and his gang, when they return. Lucille is spending more and more time in Masashi's cave and she immerses herself in his diaries. And as she attempts to master the samurai sword, a vision of him appears to guide her.

Marie stumbles upon Ralph, who has broken the conditions of his release and ventured across the boundaries set for him by Jack and the tribe. First, he coerces her into stealing food for him, then, after seducing her, lures her to leave the camp and live with him. She helps Ralph build his own raft, believing he will take her back to Australia and marry her. But although professing his love for Marie, Ralph has other plans.

Meanwhile, Jack reveals his true feelings for Minh-Tam and the island hosts its first wedding. But later, when Minh-Tam finds out she is pregnant, she is forced to admit Jack is not the father - Duras is. In desperation she tries to end her life, but Jack coaxes her back into his arms. He promises to stand by Minh-Tam regardless.

Gina and Andrew's friendship continues to grow stronger until they can resist each other no longer. But Gina is immediately horrified at what she has done and refuses to acknowledge she has any feelings for this much younger man. The other women soon convince her to follow her heart. Sister Margaret's health has deteriorated and her illness finally gets the better of her. But as one life is taken, another is given and Minh-Tam gives birth to a beautiful, healthy girl. Jack names her Larissa, after his mother.

Ralph and Marie launch their raft, but it is not strong enough to carry their weight and their supplies. As they sail away, it's obvious something - or someone -- will have to go overboard. After a struggle, Marie is left floundering in the water. From the water's edge, Lucille has witnessed the entire incident and dives through the water to reach Marie. Lucille takes Marie back to the camp where she becomes, once again, part of the tribe.

Ralph, however, soon returns to the island, leading the pirates to Masashi's cave - and the gold he believes is there. The tribe scatters to lie in wait. The traps are set. And Lucille has cleaned out the cave of all its booty and moved it to a WWII command post. She's also taken the last remaining coins from Ralph's campsite. When Ralph can find none of the gold, Duras reacts angrily. He calls to the tribe to hand over the gold. But Duras has chosen the wrong bargaining chip. The pirates string up Ralph and threaten to hang him unless the tribe releases the gold. The tribe members don't move. Ralph dangles lifelessly from a tree. Duras and his crew go hunting on the island, determined to wipe out the Sea Tramp survivors once and for all. But 12 months on the island has changed these people. They are prepared this time. And their traps are working.

Marie is caught and taken to Duras, who threatens her with terrible torture unless she betrays the whereabouts of her friends and the gold. She refuses but avoids being harmed by her captors when she plunges a knife into her own stomach. Duras leaves her for dead.

Lucille finally summons the courage to use her sword and slices up two pirates. Minh-Tam swims out to the shark boat and exacts revenge on Duras's partner Woman for what was done to her family. She also uses the shark boat radio to call for help. Meanwhile, Gina is confronted by the pirate Raoul, a former employee, at the command post. He reveals he shot Carlo. Gina directs Raoul toward the gold coins and watches as another of their traps claims a victim.

Duras and his remaining pirates are fired upon by the tribe, using the weapons they have taken from the dead pirates. The pirates flee back to their shark boat. Gunfire flies back and forth between the beach and the boat. But as Duras puts the engine into full throttle, there is an almighty explosion and the shark boat is blown sky high. Minh-Tam smiles at her handiwork. The tribe members look skyward as a plane flies overhead, preparing to land. Help has arrived. Their ordeal is over. And life will never be the same.