When Jack McLeod passes away, his two daughters inherit Drovers Run, a vast cattle ranch in the Australian outback. Ultimately, Tess and Claire decide to run the ranch together, with their housekeeper, Meg, her teenage daughter, Jodi, and a local girl, Becky. Their lives are hard and the obstacles many, but the rewards are every bit as grand as the wild open land they've inherited.
The fifth season of McLeod's Daughters aired from 9 February 2005 to 30 November 2005.
Sally and Harrison now living at Wilgul threatens Tess's marriage; she escapes on an overnight muster only to be faced with a life and death situation she herself causes. During the muster, the girls of Drovers Run find a novel way to pass the time. They ask each other whom, out of each of them, they would date if they were a guy. However, Stevie is far from impressed when no one nominates her - with Kate and Jodi employing a strange way to make their boss feel better! Meanwhile, Alex and Dave are concerned about Harry's state of mind since Sandra left.
The women of Drovers take on the big boys of the sheep industry at the annual Wool Expo. As Nick's web of lies about Sally and the baby come undone Tess makes her feelings clear leaving him no choice but to leave Drover's Run and his wife behind.
Meg heads home early from the city in the hope she can be of some comfort to Tess during her time out with Nick. But Meg has little success trying to get Tess to open up and talk about her problems. On her return to Drover's Meg is shocked to learn of Jodi's new found enthusiasm for drag racing and unimpressed when she learns Terry appears to have done little to dissuade her. Luke gambles his and Jodi's holiday money in a bet on the drag race and when he is injured, she is forced to drive in his place. Will Meg's worries be justified?
The passionate, stubborn side of Dave is exposed when he stumbles across an injured horse and believes he has found a descendent, a Waler, of the first settlement horses. Jodi is torn between her job and preventing Luke from taking dangerous risks and ruining his future. Meg and Terry realise they've been too busy embracing change to give their old relationship time. Sally ends up in hospital with a blood clot on the lungs.
Harry is secretly thrilled when he hears Sandra is back in town, however their initial meeting doesn't go well with neither capable of confessing their love to each other. Even though Harry seeks advice from Tess, and Sandra from Nick, it's openly a war of the roses, and Sandra's last-ditch attempt to get a response from Harry backfires. Kate tries to convince Stevie to reinstate Jodi, whom she fired the previous week. Stevie won't budge unless Jodi admits she's wrong, and Jodi won't return unless Stevie asks her. Nick learns what it's like to be a single father, juggling bottles, nappies, baby, and work. With some loving advice from Tess, he accepts the chaos and learns to enjoy time with his son.
Incapacitated by an injured foot, a bored Stevie has become addicted to the two-way radio. What was supposed to be a way of her keeping in touch around the farm has become an opened Pandora's Box. Kate is feeling lonely and overworked at Drovers when a fence job on the Drovers/Killarney border sees her having to work with Sandra. She so impresses Sandra that it leads to a job offer: Come and run Kinsella's for her. It's Kate's dream come true but before she accepts she needs to know if Jodi is planning to return to Drover's. Then the worst part – telling Tess. Drag racing and umemployment continue to bring Jodi all kinds of problems while Tess and Nick are still dealing with relationship issues of their own. Living apart may seem like the logical solution but it isn't solving any problems between the two of them and sending all the wrong messages to single women in the district!
The women of Drovers run are no longer a team of four. Kate, after being head hunted by Sandra, is working as overseer at Kinsella's. Jodi, after being fired by Stevie, has gone into business for herself, selling cosmetics, party plan. Tess and Stevie are managing alone, but only just. Another Sandra double cross sees the division between Kate and the other women widen even more - has Drover's lost Kate for good?? Dave steps up in an effort to get Nick and Tess reunited and Meg sets about saving a 100 year old tree and in the process learns more about her daughter's boyfriend, Luke.
Looking forward to a high-school hiking-club reunion, Kate is in for a shock when her first love, Daniel Ponter, turns up. Meanwhile, the reunion also stirs up some difficult feelings for Kate's friend, Jodi. She can't help but feel threatened when she comes face-to-face with her old school rival, the gorgeous Natalie. To make matters worse, Natalie's now a top PR agent engaged to a property millionaire. For Tess and Nick, the arrival of Sally to take Harrison home brings mixed feelings
After a brush with death and a shocking revelation about his health Harry reconsiders his plans for Killarney forcing Nick and Tess to carefully consider their own future. Alex has an ulterior motive offering Jodi a job parading his new bull while Meg's political career hits an unexpected snag.
The effects of Harry's illness are felt by both Nick and Alex, and although Alex's problems can be solved, Nick's can't be, causing distress for him and Tess.
When a long lost lover re-enters Stevie's life, she mistakenly believes that for once, her choice in men was a good one.
The women of Drovers are nearly torn apart as Jodi tries to save Luke from himself.
Tess's other cousin, Regan, visits Drovers Run and causes a few problems, but Stevie must rely on Regan's help to escape a life-threatening farm accident. Meanwhile, Kate enlists Alex's help to get Jodi's mind off of Luke's imprisonment; Dave is attracted to Regan and begins a flirtation with her.
As Dave and Regan fall for each other, Kate realizes Regan has a secret she'll do anything to protect. Meanwhile, Stevie tries to impress Tess by re-capturing her horse Phoenix, but Stevie is less-than-impressed when Tess gives the horse to Regan; Tess worries about Nick when she finds him sleepwalking.
Dave, Regan & Tess go on an afternoon picnic when Nick heads into town for a meeting, that ends up becoming a job offer. Meanwhile, Stevie takes care of Charlotte for the afternoon, but when the child goes missing, she turns Drovers upside down to find her; Jodi gives Kate a facial with disastrous results.
As Nick and Tess prepare to leave Drovers Run for their trip to Argentina, Tess & Stevie are blindsided by Regan's announcement that she plans to dig up the land in search of gold. Meanwhile, a tall, dark & handsome stranger catches Jodi's eye, and he turns out to be the new overseer at Killarney; Kate takes more of Jodi's advice and attempts to make Dave jealous.
When Regan brings in equipment to further mine, the women of Drovers put up a fight and vow to stop her, in a legal way or not. Meanwhile, Rob clashes with Sandra over farm equipment; Dave finds that his involvement with Regan is not making him any friends.
Stevie clashes with Rob over their mobs of sheep and the ways of the land. Meanwhile, it's Harry's birthday and he's feeling despressed; Alex drives Sandra to Fisher for an appointment; Kate tries to avoid Dave during a birdcall competition, but he makes it difficult.
Kate's grandmother comes for a visit and Kate is in hot water when she's caught in a web of her own lies: she's engaged to Dave and she runs Drovers Run. Meanwhile, Jodi throws a murder mystery party and tries to avoid her growing interest in the mysterious Rob.
Stevie tries to save a life as a dust storm sweeps across Drovers Run. Meanwhile, Harry buys the truck stop and appoints Moira as manager, leaving Terry as a lowly mechanic.
Alex is overcome by toxic fumes while cleaning an old water tank. Meanwhile Jodi gives Meg advice about how to fix her relationship with Terry; Stevie discovers that Meg is hiding something concerning Jodi's birth.
Stevie locks horns with Sandra, but then later helps her through a crisis. Meanwhile, Jodi suspects Rob is gay; Alex spends the day with Charlotte and learns some surprising information about Rob.
Stevie has to decide whether or not to tell her daughter Rose who her real mother is, when Rose and Stevie's sister Michelle arrive for a visit. Meanwhile, Rob learns that Jodi thinks he's gay and decides to have a little fun with her.
Rose begins a quest for answers, when she devles into Stevie's past. Meanwhile, Jodi is forced to spend the day with Rob transporting cattle; Kate, Meg and Dave have to bring in the cattle when they get loose.
Dave's brother drops in, literally, for a visit and ensnares Kate's heart. Meanwhile, Stevie and Alex hunt a predator that is stalking the animals on Drovers Run and Killarney; Jodi contemplates changing her name.
Jodi's world is turned topsy-turvy when she receives a birthday gift from the deceased, Jack McLeod. Meanwhile, Dave begins training a new veterinary student.
Dave is threatened with a sexual harrassment lawsuit from his former student. Meanwhile, after confronting Meg about Jack's gift to her, Jodi realizes her whole life has been a lie, and struggles with her identity while spending time with Rob.
Jodi learns that her mother's novel is based on real life as it details the mystery surrounding her birth. Meanwhile, Harry clashes with Alex over a deal.
When Tess returns home to Drovers, with news that she's pregnant, but her joy is soon turned to grief when Nick's plane crashes and he is presumed dead. Meanwhile, Jodi attempts to verify that she is Jack McLeod's daughter, but first must find some of his DNA.
While putting off her grief and planning a celebration of Nick's life on their 1 year anniversary, Tess anticipates seeing Nick's ghost, as she did Claire's. Meanwhile, Stevie is torn when Drovers is offered a promising research project and helping Tess & Alex grieve; Sandra worries about Harry.
Alex goes on a journey to grieve over Nick, while Harry believes keeping his grandson close to him is the most important thing in the world right now. Meanwhile, Tess receives a letter Nick wrote to her before he died; Kate cares for baby chicks that Dave brought her.
Stevie realizes she's in love with Alex, but can't bring herself to tell him. Meanwhile, Harry continues to push for his grandson to live near him, despite objections by Sandra; Jodi gets the results of her DNA test; Tess has a strange recurring dream about Nick.