She then meets the mother, Alma Stanley (Essie Davis) and her two sons, Tom (Reef Ireland) and Robbie (Benson Adams).
When Nettie tries to send a routine message that all is well on South Solitary the birds return to their coop thus rendering the system useless.
She lost her fiancé in the war, then became pregnant through an affair with a married man, but complications meant her womb was removed.
While pushing up a store of supplies from the beach without Stanley to help, George overly exerts himself, becomes very ill with a heart attack and dies.
A whole gale quickly forms stranding Meredith at the lighthouse with Fleet for several days during which she learns how to turn the light and the Flag semaphore system and gets to know him.