The story initially revolves around Art Watkins (Richard Roxburgh), a globe-trotting travel writer who returns home for his mother's funeral to a neglected resort town, Broken Bay, on the easternmost point of Australia, where he is challenged by a crooked local council, his brother Vance who is trying to cheat him out of his inheritance, his first love who broke his heart when he was a teenager and the son he hasn't seen in ten years.
As the series progresses, the life journeys of additional characters are interwoven, including (in season 2) the unexpected return of Gerry (Nick Tate), estranged father of the Watkins brothers (and original constructor of the resort).
The fictional town in which the show is set is loosely based on Byron Bay, New South Wales, where the majority of filming took place, with the distinctive character of the region providing a strong supporting element.
In addition to Roxburgh and Tate, the series features a number of other well-known Australian actors including Tom Long, Susie Porter, Gia Carides and Steve Bisley.
The inspiration for the "Far Out East" concept was stated to be in part from backpacker accommodation associated with the former Piggery site and music venue in Byron Bay, which still exists under its current (2021) name "the Arts Factory Lodge".