In 1998 Kate O'Hara rents an old cottage on the banks of a river in Tasmania. She wants peace and quiet, to come to terms with her husband's death and the end of her unhappy marriage.

But her cottage is haunted by the ghost of Devlin, a boatman from convict days. Captivated by Devlin's story, and his mysterious disappearance, Kate falls deeper under the spell of the past.

And then Kate steps back in time and meets Devlin in person.