A group of kids try to run a successful riverboat business with the help of some ghostly friends.
Charles Finn, just arrived in Tingalla with his family from Canada, meets the ghosts on the Tingalla Rose, a paddlesteamer undergoing renovation by Sarah's father. Charles forms an uneasy alliance with Sarah after a mutual run-in with "Tiny" Maloney and the Bandits.
When Chuck, Sarah and David independently promote the Tingalla Rose they end up with three new crew members. Two crooks try to rip off the enterprise by stealing their own opals, but end up with a Diamond Collar.
Mrs. Littlemore, determined to put the Tingalla Rose out of action, arranges for an inspector to check out the riverboat. The gang have to cater to the whims of Mr Smith, Mr Jones and Miss Brown as any of them could be the inspector.
The gang find a treasure map with clues written in poetry, in an old box in the hold and discover it belonged to the bushranger Captain Candlelight, Fingers' once-time lover. When the Bandits get hold of it the race is on to locate the treasure.
When Chuck's fundraising ideas don't work, he suggests putting on a show on the boat to raise money. Mrs Littlemore recruits the Bandits to steal the gang's costumes and lure them into a trap just before the performance. Hamish & Buddy save the day.
Chuck complains about parents just as Glitch, a descendant of Fingers from 40th century, swaps places with her. She arranges it so that kids and adults swap places but when everything's not as easy as it first seemed, they plot to oust Glitch.
Chuck and Hamish are horrified to learn that they have been paired off with two irritating girls for the Tingalla Junior Bachelor and Spinster Ball. They come up with fictitious girlfriends — Candy & Mandy Wibley, the only catch is they have to play the parts. Then Davo and Spider become interested in them.
To promote the Tingalla Rose, Sarah decides the gang should start up their own newspaper to advertise in. When Chuck takes the reigns to introduce sensationalism, the power goes to his head, he advertises for the River Queen, and his reporters resign.
When Chuck plays up once too often, Becky's father sets her to work on the River Queen instead, a 'proper' riverboat. Buddy brings his caveman friend Rocky over from the other side but he runs amok in the town & the others have to find him otherwise he stays forever.
When Tom's luck charm goes missing and the Tingalla Rose bookings take a turn for the worse, then certain other items from the town go missing, Chuck forms a detective agency to track down the thief.
It's festival time: Fiona's boyfriend Wayne wrecks Chuck's computer and Chuck tries to matchmake her with Bill D'Ors Jnr, heir to Cumquat Computers and the second richest man in the world. Meanwhile, Sarah is worried that her father is to remarry.
A practical joke backfires and Chuck receives a bad knock to the head which makes him completely lose his memory. Tiny uses Chuck's amnesia to his advantage and convinces Chuck he's one of the Bandits.
The gang are sick of Chuck and Sarah's bickering. Fingers decides to pull the "old switcheroo" just as Tiny tries getting close to Sarah so the Bandits can take over the Tingalla Rose. Sarah and Chuck each find out what it's like to be the other.
Miss Boniface's niece Rosy, a fan of Buddy Berry, arrives in Tingalla and gets to meet the man in the flesh after Chuck is accidentally transported to the other side instead of Buddy. Buddy Berry lives again, while Chuck is caught in limbo.
The River Queen shows up the Tingalla Rose and Chuck learns he has to go back to Canada. He hatches a plot involving Hamish's Molecule Molestation Transformulator which makes everyone think he's turned into a chicken, so he can stay in Tingalla.
Chuck's friend Eddie arranges an invitation for Sarah to come to Canada for a riverboat conference. Unbeknown to him, Chuck returns to Canada as well. However, Sarah feels she can't leave her responsibilities to Hamish, Linda and Becky.
In Canada, Eddie tries to keep Sarah from meeting Chuck but to no avail. Sarah is surprised to find out she's actually in Canada on a student exchange program, and that the real reason Eddie wants her there is to investigate a ghost in Chuck's grandmother's barn.
When an Italian movie director arrives in town, the locals all hope to land parts in his new picture which he promises will put Tingalla on the movie-world map. Becky doesn't share this enthusiasm and sets out to uncover his true agenda.
When a series of bear disturbances disrupt the community, Chuck, Sarah and Eddie discover that a girl who fell into a crevasse a century ago is now a ghost inside a teddy bear.
Mrs Littlemore stumbles across Buddy and Fingers on board the Tingalla Rose. When she calls in a pair of ghost hunters, Hamish sabotages their machine and the gang must convince Mrs Littlemorethat she's been seeing things.
Sarah, Eddie and Chuck try to find out Carol Ann's identity to help her cross over to the other side. Buddy and Fingers are recruited to help search for her parents on the other side.
Hamish invents a robot, FFIPPS, while two (apparently) Russian agents sabotage both riverboats. Chuck and Sarah prepare to return to Australia.
Miss Boniface leaves Linda in charge of the milk bar but when Tiny's nulla nulla disappears, Linda is put on trial for stealing it — with Wayne the presiding judge. Chuck and Sarah arrive in Tingalla along with Carol Anne.
An inspector arrives to check out which of the riverboats is the most suited to being awarded the lucrative mail contract. Edna Littlemore beocmes a guest on the Tingalla Rose when she has an accident while onboard.
When a bounty hunter from the Weft catches up with Buddy and Fingers, Chuck has one chance to save them — by keeping the Tingalla crew together.
A winner-takes-all boat race is held between the Tingalla Rose and the River Queen to determine who will get the freight and mail contract.
Luke O'Loughlin
Charles 'Chuck' Finn
2020
1978
2015
2014
2022
1993
2018
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1983
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