Half-Life

Laura and Max may well have sorted out their love life, but all is not running smoothly otherwise. While Laura's left to take the wrath of Warwick's unknowing parents who have arrived for their son's wedding, Max is confronted by criminal charges and the closure of his newspaper. Morton Tregonning has come down hard on the town as he sets about launching his chemical waste dump in Pearl Bay. Just as soon as that tunnel from Port Deakin opens it'll be up and running.

Max works out a plan with the town on how to keep the newspaper operating. All will be fine so long as they can keep moving the printer to different locations and changing editor-in-chief daily...

Meredith, meanwhile, is growing increasingly frustrated by the town's inability to realise just how dangerous the waste dump will be for Pearl Bay - her passion drowned out by promises of new jobs. A sense of doom prevails. Until...the town suddenly comes to a halt when Meredith collapses. She's had a stroke and lies in hospital with very little hope of recovering.

The town is devastated, unable to comprehend life without their Meredith. While Heather and Harold keep up a bedside vigil, others decide to rally to her cause. Heather shames Bob into restanding for the mayoral election - on an environmental, anti-Morton platform, Max has the unenviable task of promoting Pearl Bay's new David Suzuki, while Miranda and Craig take the law into their own hands by attempting to interrupt work on the tunnel.

Miranda and Craig are arrested and when Laura learns that all police and legal authority within the town has been taken over by Morton's Port Deakin stooges, she's furious - quits as magistrate and decides to defend Miranda in court herself. The court case goes badly until Max discovers an anomaly which saves the day, but not the fate of the town. That comes from another source...As Meredith's life support is switched off an earthquake rattles the area. Morton's tunnel is suddenly out of kilter and he's forced to watch his vision wash out to sea.

Amid all Karen has been heading sadly towards the inevitable 'surf wedding' but can't believe her eyes when the day finally arrives. Led by Angus, the town have secretly created the wedding she's always dreamed off, and apart from the sad reminder Meredith is not with them, the happy event draws everyone together.