Fergus Trasker, a completely irresponsible young man with no qualifications, passes himself off as an engineer and goes to work in an Australian gold mine in the Western Desert. There he meets Rhonda, another engineer who is trying to turn the town's population on to an eastern cult religion. Little orphan Fergus, was brought up by feisty Aunty Patty, a woman addicted to marrying gangsters. Aunty P. cautions him to grow up and treat his human relationships with a bit more of a responsible attitude. So, although Rhonda, the engineer, is a rather tubby girl and not his type really, he decides that he should prove himself to his aunt and help the girl establish her religion.

Sadly, Fergus's Aunt Patty has not told him that he should be more responsible in all his other dealings in life, after all she is a tearaway herself. So what happens to the town and indeed the mine?

One way or another things are not going to stay the same.