Top Australian Police detective, Bart Corrigan, has annoyed his Commissioner once too often and is removed from the murder squad and assigned the mundane task of tracing a young European princess who had disappeared from her ladies' academy in Brisbane. She's done a flit because she wants to be a jillaroo, a female stockman, and has gone far west to attend a jillaroo school. Bart has no trouble tracking her down. He and Tessa conceal their true identities and Bart takes over the jillaroos' instruction so he can watch over her. Tessa is dumpy with crooked teeth but she and Bart begin to be interested in each other, which surprises everybody because Bart is a handsome man. Then Tessa is bitten by a venomous snake and Bart cares for her in the bush, saving her life. She's taken to hospital and her family spirits her home for more care and they lose touch. Bart resumes his career but always thinking of Tessa. A year later she writes to him and tells him she loves him and that she's spent the year working to become worthy of him. She sends him a computer so they can talk and see each other and she is beautiful. They talk marriage and she invites him to her coronation in a few months. When Bart arrives in her country he finds that others have other plans for Tessa and they keep him away from her, but they manage to see each other briefly and plan elopement. When the time comes, however, Tessa has changed and tells Bart she can't marry him and he should leave her country quickly. He's no longer welcome. Disillusioned and angry Bart goes back to Australia, determined never to have any more to do with royalty and the upper class. Not long after resuming duty Bart is injured in a car smash while investigating drug dealers and is put under Police protection while recovering. He goes to the bush during his recovery and visits the property with the jillaroo school, among memories of Tessa. He goes for a last ride and sees a horseman riding through the trees. He sits on his horse, frozen, with very mixed emotions. The rider emerges and it's Tessa...