Australian teenager Heidi is left with little choice but to leave home after she's caught red-handed with her mother's boyfriend. With few options Heidi ends up in Jindabyne a tourist community. Upon meeting Joe at a bar she pursues a relationship with him and tries to find something resembling a normal home life. Heidi makes small strides by getting a job and finding a place to stay but her relationship with Joe must overcome more than its share of hurdles.