Fifteen-year-old Gunnedah 'Gunnie' Danson begins work at Wiralee Station, a cattle station owned by his family since 1848, and one made famous by his great-great-grandfather, Smokey 'Gun' Danson. Gunnie attends a clearing sale at Swenson Station where his great-great-grandmother, Molly, was born. He finds a journal she wrote in 1910 called 'A Drover's Blanket', discovers a mare that's directly related to Molly's original horse, Dusty, and meets Molly's brother, Artie Swenson.
A foal, the old mare, the journal and a famous painting, 'The Wiralee Queen', is stolen and Gunnie is shattered. Jenni Danson, a relative of Smokey's best mate, Magic Billie, is missing in Queensland and Gunnie's uncle, Wirra, is diagnosed with a tumor. Nothing but bad luck has happened since Gunnie arrived at Wiralee and he spirals into depression. Will he stay at Wiralee Station? Will Wirra be okay? Will they find Jenni alive during the monsoon season?