McLeod's Daughters

Claire returns to Drovers Run after her stay in the hospital, but she must deal with the lie she told that Alex is the father of her child when he isn't. Meanwhile, Meg agonises over whether to send more money to Jodi who is still on her overseas travels, and using up her mum's funds like there's no tomorrow. With Jake's help, Becky is busy chasing downs leads on Brick's possible whereabouts.

Harry lends Claire his prize bull, which upsets Tess for not being consulted. Jodi returns from her holiday and Alberto proposes to her. With Becky's blessing, a date for the wedding is set, but three weeks is a bit sudden for Meg. Under mounting pressure, Claire confesses to Liz that Alex is not her baby's father.

Jodi is busy making plans for a huge wedding that is becoming too much for Alberto's liking and Meg's finances. When Alberto informs Jodi that her mother is intending to sell her jewels to pay for the event; Jodi decides a simple, traditional wedding may be better. Meanwhile, Tess is frustrated by Claire's refusal to go for her ultrasound for fear of discovering something wrong with the baby.

Tess believes Sally is cheating on Nick when she sees her in town with another man. Jodi's wedding plans go down the drain when Alberto learns about the affair she had while overseas, and Jake tries to help Becky cope with her feelings following Brett's death.

As a pre-Bucks Night prank, Craig and a couple of his mates kidnap Alberto and leave him in the middle of nowhere. When Jodi finds out, she goes ballistic and searches for Alberto with Craig. At Jodi's Hens Night, a game of Truth or Dare reveals far more than was intended when Liz's half-drunk musings leave Claire and Tess with the distinct impression that a deep secret exists in the Ryan family.

With last-minute wedding preparations underway, Jodi's father blows in unexpectedly, which creates tensions in the family. A series of events show Jodi that she and Alberto have very different outlooks on married life, and while the wedding goes off without a hitch, all is not well as Jodi comes to a life-changing realisation.

Becky senses the mystery surrounding Jake's past when he convinces her to help him save a prized racehorse from thieves. Sally accidentally leaves a gate open and a herd of sheep damages Tess and Nick's wheat crop. Despite Jodi's best efforts to keep busy, it is not enough to keep her from missing Alberto and she wonders if she made a mistake by letting him go. Meg asks Terry to move in with her.

Claire uncovers a long-lost treasure which brings back memories of her mother and unleashes a fear that she will also die in childbirth. Tess organises a fake séance to try to ease Claire's fears and there are some surprising results. Meanwhile, Terry's locked suitcase proves too tempting for Meg who must discover the secret within.

The joy surrounding Harry and Liz's 30th wedding anniversary is shattered when Harry's nagging suspicions about Alex not being the father of Claire's baby explodes into a fit of rage after an innocent remark leads to Liz confessing a long-held secret. Brick's younger sister, Kylie, arrives out of the blue at Drovers Run looking for Becky.

Relations between Alex and his father take another turn for the worse when Alex discovers he has been cut off financially. Nick tries to play peacemaker but both sides are stubborn and his efforts go unappreciated. Becky learns the value of patience in dealing with Kylie when her enthusiasm to help out only causes more trouble.

Anticipation is high as Tess's journalist friend is due to arrive at Drovers Run to write a feature magazine article about life on the land. However, tensions between her and Tess begin to rise as old wounds are reopened and long-forgotten feelings are revisited. Meanwhile, Kylie exposes the article's secret hook, and Nick and Alex formalise their business partnership.

Becky feels betrayed when she learns Jake's true identity from his father at the auctions. Jodi discovers the real reason Kylie left home when she goes through Kylie's mail. A pending court date for a shoplifting charge is rapidly approaching but Kylie seems willing to ignore it. Meanwhile, Tess is away at a conference with Dave and Claire.

Alex goes with Claire to her birthing class, but it’s getting harder for him to keep up the pretense of being the father of her baby. Sandra Kinsella’s appearance on the scene threatens future mischief. Nick and Dave continue to spar over Tess, who wants her relationship with Dave to stay low-key at the upcoming Picnic Races.

When Jodi receives a mysterious chain letter, she discards it immediately. The scattered pieces of the letter have barely hit the compost when Becky announces that the cattle are sick. Further misfortune soon strikes Drovers Run, with Terry falling ill and the discovery of a dead sheep. Could Jodi have inadvertently cursed the farm?

Nick and Alex must face the awful truth of their father's new girlfriend while they argue over Harry's proposal for a stock route through Drovers Run. Meanwhile, Tess stubbornly refuses to ask for outside help to shear her alpacas, insisting on doing the job herself. Meg is concerned about Terry's absences to visit a nonexistent sick aunt but jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Mysterious lights are seen by Claire and Tess over Drovers Run. Tess is determined to believe they are a good omen, but Claire, restless and uneasy in the last stages of pregnancy, insists that trouble awaits. Soon, she goes into labour in the middle of a paddock with only a dilapidated old shed for shelter.

A mob of Emus descends upon Drovers Run, wreaking havoc on everything they encounter. The chaotic situation is just one more stress for Claire who is struggling to balance the demands of motherhood with that of running the ranch. She finally decides on a name for her baby girl: Charlotte Prudence McLeod, Charlotte after Tess' middle name and Prudence after Claire's mother.

Drovers is hosting a naming ceremony for Charlotte Prudence McLeod – and Peter shows up. Claire had recently told him that he was the baby’s father, but he remains suspicious and on his guard. Never one to shirk the limelight, Dave uses the occasion to make an announcement about his future with Tess, though Nick and the others are less than convinced.

Determined to prove herself during a Fire Service training weekend, Jodi quickly realises it's going to be far more difficult than she had anticipated. Meanwhile, Meg is dedicating herself to her studies and is thoroughly immersed in 'Pride and Prejudice'. The misjudgments and misunderstandings of characters that drive that book's plot echo through everyone's dealings at Drovers Run.

Becky's loyalties are tested when she and Jake establish a horse breeding business at Drovers Run. Meanwhile, Tess, eager to see Claire dating again, signs her up for an internet dating service, and when that fails, gathers the local singles for a "Quick Dating" session. Jodi and Toby continue their flirtations.

Alex and Nick come to the rescue of an attractive woman named Ellie when her car breaks down on a country road. Almost instantly they're pitched into a competition to woo her. Meanwhile, Tess takes up a new cause when she learns the district nurse is moving away and the local council does not plan to seek a replacement. Meg enjoys some time alone while Terry is away.

When Drovers Run is quarantined and the future of the stock placed under a cloud, true friends seem few and far between as Claire finally goes head-to-head with her old enemy Sandra Kinsella. Meg and Terry have their eye on a piece of land but are unable to come up with the deposit, until an offer of help comes from an unlikely person. Meanwhile, Jodi is ready to act on her feelings for Nick.

Claire's role as spokesperson for the local farmers' association requires her to visit Melbourne. Alex is insistent that he come along to look after them while also pursuing some Wilgul matters, but the real reason is that he wants to meet his biological father. Back at Drovers, Jodi makes her play for Nick, while Terry introduces Meg to his record collection.

Claire and Alex are still in Melbourne, blissfully in love. At Drovers, Tess and Dave are making plans for their wedding day. When Tess, in the shower, discovers a lump in her breast, she fears she will share her mother's fate and quickly goes into denial, telling no-one. Meanwhile, Meg hopes to reign in her and Terry's spending by cutting back on unnecessary items.