McLeod's Daughters

Half-sisters Tess and Claire are reunited when they take over the family ranch, Drovers Run, after their father's death. Tensions between the estranged sisters deepen when an innocent mistake by Tess allows the herd to escape, starting a chain of events that leads to Claire making some difficult decisions about the future of Drovers Run.

It's shearing time and one of the men arrives with a reputation as a killer. Tess witnesses some strange events and uncovers a secret. Meanwhile, Claire struggles to maintain her authority over the shearers, as she is desperate to meet the deadline for selling her wool.

Jealousies arise as Claire competes in the rodeo while Nick and Alex compete for Tess's attention. Becky's reputation lands her in serious trouble, and the two sisters forget their differences and come to the rescue.

Claire buys a pen of undernourished sheep from the stock sales, leaving Tess to question her judgment. When the truck transporting them breaks down, the sisters are left to drove the ailing sheep home. Meanwhile, Jodi's poor exam results bring a surprising conclusion.

Tess's confidence is shaken after she falls from her horse, forcing her to wonder whether she truly belongs at Drovers Run. Meanwhile, Claire refuses to let Tess help in the care of her late father's ailing stallion and must make her toughest decision since Jack's death.

Tess learns that Drovers Run is mired in debt and she confronts Claire. An examination of the ranch's records unearths letters from Jack to Tess that Tess's mother never told her about, and the letters impact Tess and Claire deeply and in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, Meg and Claire discover more about Becky's home life when she temporarily returns to work at her parent's truck shop.

Claire must pay off a debt to Harry Ryan, who has his eye on Drovers Run. Tapped out of cash, she has no choice but to offer him her father's old mahogany desk, which is steeped in sentimental value for her and Tess. Meanwhile, A feral bull is wreaking havoc at Drovers Run and Tess trades in her cappuccino machine for a daily cow.

When Claire's new mare runs off with a wild stallion, Alex and Nick offer their help. Tess and Nick search for the horses on motorbikes while Alex and Claire take to the skies in a helicopter. Finally, they track and rope the mare, and both Tess and Claire find themselves attracted to Nick because of his brave efforts. Meanwhile, a steamy night gives away Meg's secret lover.

Just when Tess thinks she's beginning to get the hang of ranch life, the hunt for a dangerous wild boar that is threatening the livestock disrupts life and throws her skills into question. Tess puts herself in danger when she comes between the boar and Claire's beloved cattle dog.

Emotional and traumatic events of the past and present return to haunt the lives of the women of Drovers Run. The pain of dealing with loss forces each of them to find a way to deal with these life-altering events.

The youngest member of the Drovers Run family is ready to celebrate her 18th birthday in style, but no one seems very interested in helping her mark such a special occasion. During the ensuing surprise party, Meg struggles to cope with the reality of Jodi's coming of age and relationships are put to the test.

Jealousies and family tensions between the Ryan brothers suddenly come to light when an innocent question by Tess re-opens a very ugly wound. The ladies of Drovers Run have a ringside seat when Nick and Alex go head-to-head to work out their frustrations on each other, and Tess learns the impenetrable rules of what to say and what not to say in the country.

When Bill Tilson decides to sell up and move to the city, Claire sees the precariousness of her own situation and it prompts her to work harder than ever to keep Drovers Run. Meanwhile, Meg 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 since there are cattle duffers working in the district and a flock of Claire's sheep has 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. Meanwhile, Becky finds an ingenious way to exact revenge on 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, and it turns out that Tess will truly have to earn them. Claire and Alex endure a three-hour drive together only to be involved in a collision with Peter Johnson, who is running the seminar.

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

After reaping good profits at the sheep sales, the girls are ready to celebrate with a night at the pub and a bit of Karaoke. But things don't go as planned when it is discovered that the new barmaid, Kimmy, has dealt with the same abuse that Becky fell victim to at the hands of Brian. The girls wait until closing to see if they can catch Brian fair and square.

Claire is finding it difficult to come to terms with Tess's new found relationship with Alex. Her dream of developing a quarter horse breeding program at Drovers Run looks as if it may be close to coming true and she's using it as an excuse to push Tess away. Tess wants to help in any way she can, but Claire wants Tess to start that little cafe in Brunswick she used to talk about.

When Alberto, a good-looking itinerant 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. Meanwhile, Claire is hoping for love to blossom between her mare and Harry's stallion.

When Tess finds an old psychology textbook, she becomes obsessed with trying to figure out the real reasons for people's actions. Tess, however, is not prepared for the truths she uncovers about those around her, and also faces something she is reluctant to answer herself. While Tess is busy toying with her probing questions, Claire and Meg are dealing with a different psychological war.

After a grubby day with the cattle, Tess is delighted when Simon and Briony, two old friends, show up for an unexpected visit. And they've got news, big news: they've got a lease on the café they all dreamed about and they want Tess to come back to the city with them ASAP. Tess must decide between old ties and new love as she weighs her ranch life against her former urban roots.

Jodi is in the final stages of arranging a charity polo match as part of her fund-raising efforts for the Miss Gungellan quest, and Brian decides it's high time to reacquaint himself with Becky. A cloud of discontent covers the girls when they make a macabre discovery in the dam, and they are forced to commit an act they never thought possible.