But they needn't have bothered, in the bush above the town, the occupants of the downed spacecraft, a humanoid alien pirate and his dim-witted robot work at getting airborne again. To facilitate this, the robot sets off into town to purchase a washer from the local hardware store and pays with synthetic diamonds, which naturally catches the attention of the storeowner who consults a jeweller. Determined to locate more of the ultra valuable gems they commence to search for the source. At the local campground, the second of the two craft (which turns out to be the craft the alien pirate was trying to shoot down in the opening sequence because it is hauling such diamonds) settles disguised as a caravan where the occupants, a couple of small cute humanoid aliens, eventually are befriended by a boy from the neighbouring caravan which houses a typical NZ family on a caravan campground holiday. 

Above the town, the hardware store owner and the jeweller locate the pirate craft and do a deal with the alien to locate the diamond carrying craft for 50% of the haul but must take the robot with them to ensure that they only take their share. They are given a headset device which will assist them locate the craft which is transmitting distress signals. Meanwhile back in town the situation is worsening with the tourists are leaving so the group led by the Tourist Association chairman, arrange for the local bus mechanic to rig a UFO using an air mattress filled with hydrogen supplied from a bank of charging batteries. But it all goes wrong with the batteries being lifted only to rain down on the town in what is perceived to be an alien attack. 

A hard hitting newsman who has arrived in town interviews a reluctant Mayor who is in on the deception (and fears it will all go badly wrong at any moment) and also the alien's robot who has been cut loose by the jeweller and store owner. This generates mass hysteria which the Police Chief struggles to keep under control realizing all is not what it seems. His reporter girlfriend also locates the pirate spaceship and while attempting to interview the alien inside is captured and held hostage to be released providing the Police Chief locates and supplies the diamond haul (which he has absolutely no knowledge of). Eventually the pirate becomes airborne drawing everyone (UFO fanatics, FBI, media, campground occupants including the two cute aliens hauling the diamonds who accompany the neighbouring family) to the main shipping wharf where they view the hovering craft. 

Delivering his ultimate demands before threatening to leave with the Chief's girlfriend reporter (before the intergalactic police arrive), and even though he detests firearms, the Police Chief resorts to an all out gun fight with the alien causing the spacecraft to crash down onto the crowded wharf where his girlfriend is released and the alien captured by the arriving space police. All ends well with the town obtaining a permanent tourist attraction - the downed UFO, the robot gets a new life and job with the FBI, the boy and his family gets the diamonds, and the Police Chief and his girlfriend are reunited.