| Director | Rachel House |
|---|---|
| Genre | comedy drama, coming-of-age film |
| Runtime | 89 min |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Box office | $569,961 |
The film focuses on three eleven year-old children in New Plymouth. Sam is mixed-Māori and European New Zealander/Pakeha girl undergoing chemotherapy at a hospital. She and her Pakeha mother Wendy have no contact with her Māori birth father. Mallory is a Pakeha boy whose father Hugh is grieving the loss of his mother. Bronco is a Māori boy who moved with his father Tux to New Plymouth. Tux works long hours as a Police constable.
Seeking to climb Mount Taranaki, Sam escapes the hospital with the connivance of fellow patient Peachy. She enlists the help of Mallory in obtaining supplies and serving as her guide. The two are subsequently joined by Bronco, who helps Sam to reconnect with her Māori culture. The three children take an unofficial route to Mount Taranaki which involves navigating through a golf course, farmland, and a rickety rope bridge. While crossing the bridge, Mallory falls into the river but is saved by Bronco. Bronco later uses his bush skills to build a camp fire and tells his friends about a Māori legend about the origins of Mount Taranaki.
Meanwhile, the adults along with Peachy separately search for the three children, taking an official route. After Hugh receives a social media image of the children by a campfire, they realise that the three missing children are travelling together. The following morning, Mallory has a falling out with Sam after learning that she lied about her parents being dead. Bronco convinces Mallory to reconcile with Sam. The two help Sam after she injures her leg.
As they approach Mount Taranaki, the adults and Peachy close in on them. Having issues with their parents, the children persevere and create an improvised obstacle using Bronco's bike and their travel packs. Continuing their quest, they encounter a fog. The trio also visit a cave with glowworms. Sam gets weaker due to her cancer condition. After getting lost walking in circles, Mallory and Bronco convince Sam that Mount Taranaki is trying to tell her that she does not need to climb to the summit in her weakened condition. After deciding to return to their parents, the fog mysteriously lifts.
Following their adventure on Mount Taranaki, the three kids and their families become close friends. Mallory and Bronco have ambitions of climbing Mount Taranaki again.