Rude Awakenings

Dimity Rush craves change. Human Resources Manager for a debt collection agency, she's been marooned for eight years on a Kumeu lifestyle block where anaesthetist husband Stuart planned to grow olives. Now she's taking charge, dragging her family into Ponsonby, to kick-start her life and marriage. Over the fence, long-term renter Arthur Short and his two girls are struggling to cope now mum’s gone and shacked up with a woman. When Arthur hears his place is on the market, and that Dimity has already poked her nose in, the battlelines are drawn.

Dimity's incensed Stuart would give up medicine just because he killed someone, while Stuart can’t believe her real estate plans jeopardize their family assets. He takes Ollie to stay at the home of playboy surgeon Spencer, leaving Dimity to seek comfort in the arms of her personal trainer.

Dimity Rush's lovely Ponsonby life is in jeopardy – Stuart won't come home, and Julian steals money to support his new girlfriend, Arthur’s daughter Amber. Then her home is invaded by a disgruntled former employee, but Dimity is saved by the unwanted intervention of ex-social worker Arthur, which infuriates her and does nothing for neighbourly relations. Dimity resolves to play her last card to outbid Arthur and evict him – wangling a huge company loan from her deeply admiring boss John.

Dimity is on a natural high as her notice to evict Arthur ruins his birthday. While Dim celebrates with a new Ponsonby hairdo, Constance starts to work her devious magic behind the scenes, grooming Dimity’s seven year old Ollie as a secret agent and planting him back inside his own family as a mole. And Arthur discovers just how dodgy his mate Ralph really is.

Dimity's back gives out in a tug-of-war with Arthur, and Bonnie's husband Jase comforts her with a backrub. Taped by Ollie, this is dynamite in Constance’s hands. Sharon Short attempts to sort out her wayward daughter but her lover Dara goes on the attack.

Dimity is conflicted by the news that Julian's life was saved by Arthur Short, and now she must contend with the mysterious fire which has left their Kumeu house in cinders, threatening her financial masterplan. After Pita’s death, Amber soothes her grief in an affair with an older journalist, breaking Julian's heart. Sharon is torn when Dara insists she must choose between her or her interfering family, and she finds herself drifting back to her dangerous old haunts. And Bonnie lives in terror awaiting the moment when Dimity figures out just how guilty she is.