Meg struggles to cope with the reality of Jodi's coming of age and during the ensuing surprise party relationships are put to the test.

Tess learns the impenetrable rules of what to say and not to say in the country and an innocent remark re-opens a very ugly wound, which divides the Ryan brothers.

When Bill Tilson decides to sell up and move to the city, Claire sees the precariousness of her own situation on Drover's Run. Meg meanwhile is preparing to make her annual tomato chutney. Despite her best efforts it tastes awful and she doesn't understand why.

Theft is on everyone's mind. There are cattle duffers working in the district. Killarney has been struck - Nick's high tech security cameras undone by rifle fire - and a flock of Claire's sheep have gone missing. Claire's outrage at the thieves is tempered by mortification when she discovers her sheep haven't been stolen at all, but are wandering in the neighbouring National Park. The arrival of Senior Constable Cook to inform Claire of this puts the wind up Becky and Jodi who suspect he knows more than he's saying about Becky's altercation with Brian.

When Claire attends a seminar on Artificial Insemination with Alex she leaves Tess in charge of Drovers Run. In spite of a few doubts, Claire gives her a new pair of boots to honour the occasion. Claire and Alex endure a three hour drive to Fisher together only to be involved in a bingle with Peter Johnson who is running the seminar. He assumes Alex and Claire are a married couple and manages to rile Claire even more.

The sudden death of local farmer Max Martin alarms Harry, prompting inner fears of his own mortality, and a sudden outward drive to defy whatever fate may have in store by pursuing instant and rapid expansion of his property. Meanwhile Claire and Tess come across an accident involving one of their own with dramatic consequences for the Ryans.

A good sale at the sheep sales and the girls are ready to celebrate. A night at the pub, a bit of Karaoke perhaps, all the signs of a great ""Girls Night Out"". But things don't go as planned when it is revealed that the new barmaid, Kimmy, has been copping the same abuse Becky fell victim to at the hands of Brian. Resolving that something must be done and it must be done without Claire's knowledge, the decision is made to wait until closing and see if they can catch Brian fair and square.

Claire is finding it difficult to come to terms with Tess' new found relationship with Alex. Her dream of developing a quarter horse breeding program at Drover's Run looks as if it may be close to coming to fruition and she's using it as an excuse to push Tess away. Tess wants nothing more than to help in any way she can, but Claire, having given Tess her share of the sheep sales, has decided it's time for her to return to the city. She claims to have Tess' interests at heart. She is about to achieve her dream, and wants Tess to have hers - that little cafe in Brunswick she used to talk about.

Love is in the air over Drovers Run. When Alberto, an itinerant, good looking young Italian rescues Jodi from a rampant steer she falls hopelessly in love with him. At first Meg isn't too worried as Alberto will be moving on. Before he can leave however, he saves Jodi yet again, this time from a snake, incurring a snakebite himself in the process. While he is recuperating, love starts to bloom between him and Jodi. Which is exactly what Claire is hoping would be happening between her mare (Blaze) and Harry's stallion (Wildfire).

Tess is obsessed with her new psychology theory - the three levels of why. Armed with one of her mother's old psychology textbooks she figures if she can real reason for people's actions, then everything will be sorted. But all the psychology in the world can't explain why Alex isn't as romantic as she would like him to be, why Becky and Jodi are at each other's throats, or why Loverboy - the bull Claire sells to Nick - keeps breaking out of Nick's yards and returning to Drovers Run.

After a grubby day mustering cattle, Tess is thrilled to see two friends turn up unannounced at the homestead. Simon (Murray Bartlett) and Briony (Alexandra Davies) are her best mates from TAFE. She hasn't seen them for yonks. They're fun, they're charming, they've brought their own food. And while they're still hugging hello they drop their bombshell. They've got a lease on the cafe they all dreamed about and they want Tess to come back to the city with them ASAP.

Jodi's fund raising efforts for Miss Gungellan are reaching fever pitch with a charity bush polo match to be held at Drovers Run, but a cloud of discontent covers the girls when they make a macabre discovery in the dam.

Jodi is torn between the truth and Becky's feelings when she realises that Sean's sudden visions are not as innocent as they seem. Meanwhile, Claire's flirtation with Peter takes a new turn.

During a rabbit plague a baby turns up on Alex's doorstep. Meanwhile, Peter and Claire struggle to deny their feelings for each other.

Becky is being stalked by someone who blames her for her life falling aparty. Meanwhile, Claire and Peter draw closer.

Claire and Nick come to blows over a vital supply of water in a dry spell. Soon the dispute turns personal and old friends become enemies.

When a good looking charmer arrives out of the blue at Drovers Run no-one is more surprised than Jodi to find out this is her father, returned after an 18 year absence, while Meg's world is thrown into turmoil at the arrival of her first love.

As final preparations for the Miss Gungellan ball continue, Meg is faced with a difficult decision; to stay at the place she loves or to leave with the man she loves. Jodi is desperate to go with her father and is over the moon when Meg decides to take a chance for once in her life. All the women at Drovers enjoy the opportunity to dress up for the biggest event on the Gungellan social calendar. Jodi is voted Miss Gungellan but to everybody's surprise and Liz's horror, she gives up the crown in order to go off up north with her father and Meg. Only trouble is, Meg is having second thoughts. And so too is Kevin.

As Tess feels increasingly isolated from Claire, she works hard to bring Nick and Alex back together, an effort which backfires when she lets a Ryan family secret out of the bag.

Becky realises that she has no choice but to tell Claire that Peter is married and Tess accepts a partnership in the city.

Claire finally realises what a mistake she's made, while Tess struggles to convince herself that she's made the best decision of her life.

Claire and Drovers Run are in deep trouble, and Tess, the only person who might be able to avert disaster, is immersed in her new life in the city.

Mark Howard returns to the district, determined to drag brother Sean into his life of illegality. Meanwhile, Meg finds that she has competition for Terry's affections and Terry finds himself under scrutiny by the law.

Frank Da Costa, the new cop in town, has it in for Terry. When Terry unwittingly on-sells stolen goods to Tess, he sets up an explosive confrontation that will unearth the dark secret at the heart of Frank's animosity.

Droving cattle on a stock route, Nick and Tess's feelings for each other become stronger, until Nick discovers he has unexpected competition. With Becky in charge, she is committed to keeping Drovers running smoothly and showing Claire she can do it.