At the end of the long Dry season most of the Long Hole community has travelled to Barrumbi, the place of water, to give the country a message - to let it know that the people are waiting for rain. While they are camped there, fifteen-year-old Sean Murphy secretly leaves the campsite to climb up to Death Adder Ridge. He knows this is a prohibited place, a spirit place, but he takes the risk.
Injured by a fall and caught by sudden torrential rain, he seeks shelter in a cave. Here he is at the mercy of the old men, who keep him captive while they teach him to respect Aboriginal spirituality. It is a difficult time for his family, who understand but cannot fully accept what is happening to Sean.
Meanwhile, at home, the other kids - Dale and Tomias, Lizzie and Jimmy and Meg - have their own adventures, both comical and near-tragic. The Wet becomes a flood that overtakes their lives as the spirit of Barrumbi seeks appeasement.
