Young English immigrants Ethan and Amy Melville find themselves shipwrecked on the remote and desolate coast of New Zealand. Fearing their mother has drowned, they decide to search for their father who is somewhere in the South Island. Danger is everywhere with settlers and local Māori fighting over land. Unprepared for life in the wild, Ethan and Amy team up with two young strangers. But can they trust Meg, a petty thief, and Tama, an escaped Māori slave?