If Fish Could Fly

The entire Port Deakin region of the coast has been lashed by violent storms and the newly opened Pearl Bay Bridge is once more closed to heavy traffic. For other traffic the bridge is open - one way at a time, for two hours a day (except Saturday) and if you can bear the queues. Kevin and Trevor return from their ocean adventure to find further havoc at the caravan park. Phrani, whom Kevin left in charge, cries tears of remorse as she shows him the Deluxe Continental caravan floating in the sea. Worse is yet to come. Krzysztof Chrzanowski, the backpacker who was in the van at the time, tries to sue Kevin for pain and suffering and the loss of his soon-to-be-published manuscript on the nature of chaos. Dan and Laura are too busy kissing to notice that in fact most of Pearl Bay is in a state of chaos.

The court is inundated with storm damage claims and the Council is in a financial shamble. Still shattered by Heather's departure, Bob has withdrawn from public life, leaving the Council to call for his resignation as Shire President. Laura begins to grapple with conflicting roles as magistrate, mother, Jack's ex-wife and Dan's lover. All Dan can think about are unique weather patterns, king tides, unusual fish in the bay and lunar cycles. Jack is struggling to get used to the idea that Laura and Dan are an item. Rupert and Miranda are thrilled to have their dad around - Laura is not so sure and Dan definitely doesn't like it. Angus is perturbed that he may be in a rut in his relationship with Karen, while Karen is equally disturbed by Angus's suggestion that she needs to cut loose and let her hair down. Meredith and Harold must come to terms with the fact that Heather is their long-lost daughter.

It's Dan who comes to Kevin's rescue in court by producing a mullet which he found on the roof of the boatshed. Dan uses the humble fish to prove that no one could have predicted the severity of the storm in Pearl Bay and the Deluxe Continental rolling into the sea was entirely unforeseeable. Laura finds in favour of Kevin, and Krzysztof is a broken man. Not only has he lost his manuscript but Pearl Bay seems to have proven his Chaos Theory is totally up the spout. Fortunately his manuscript is found and he is able to draw comfort - and a peculiar kind of 'Pearl Bay' order - from the unlikely story of its recovery at sea.