Te Manawanui, Hombre and Ugg are being brought up by their maternal nanny Duchess in the fictional Eastern Bay of Plenty township of Te Manawanui Valley. An uncle, Gilbert, heads the local gang. Their colours are a deep-coloured green and black. They wear coloured bandanas. He also operates the Kai cart that sits opposite the store run by Ray. Ray is the 3rd generation of Pākehā storekeepers. His grandson, Adam (unseen), will be the 5th generation. Ray and Duchess are childhood friends. Hombre and Te Manawanui need to make it through to the end of the school year until they are 17, to enrol in the army and leave the valley. Ugg on the other hand is catapulting down a pathway of destruction. Ordering takeaways one night transforms all of their lives forever.