In 1900s Melbourne, the well-to-do were strolling down fashionable Collins Street enjoying the opulence of the 'Belle Epoque', the beautiful era, while streets away the hardships of life went on.For two children, Hortense Brown, and Alistair Lundy, growing up on market gardens outside the once-touted bayside resort of Mentone, their playground was a paradise of she-oak, tea-tree, and eucalypt on the slopes above the ancient cliffs and sandy beach of Beaumaris Bay.But innocence cannot last, and adolescence will not wait.By January 1905, their families' fortunes have taken a dramatic turn and despite Hortense and Alistair's friendship, pressure grows on them to move in different circles. In a world of great social and scientific change, Horty and Loon, and their friends Sniffle and Perce, embark on adventures throughout the natural beauty, small farmlets, and stately homes of Mentone, Beaumaris, and Cheltenham, while on their way encountering fascinating characters including one of the great personalities of the early twentieth century: Annette Kellerman.