The Croydon family reside in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their patriarch and matriarch, Winston and Sue Croydon, travel to Australia on holiday and Sue goes missing in mysterious circumstances. The Croydon siblings and their partners, also finish up in Australia to search for their precious mother, in tandem with the Australian police. As all else fails, the Croydon's employ a novel method of intensifying the hunt for their dearest mother. The mastermind of Sue Croydon's disappearance, the enigmatic, Hartley Hartstone, is a mixture of philanthropist and criminal. He incarcerates his victim at a location, he regards as impregnable and the perfect hideaway. Sue is put to work in captivity, to coordinate an enterprise that would be laudable in concept, were it not for Hartstone's staff recruiting methods and other illegalities. The story is based on family values and deals with various unique issues encountered by Winston and Sue's whole family.