Cassandra — Trapped in Paradise

Every now and then Margaret drives to wherever her friend Cassandra is to just hang out. This time she travelled from the Gold Coast to southern NSW and Victoria over Christmas 2025, experiencing firsthand the challenges Cassie faces — 40-degree heat with no air-con, bushfire threats, constant relocation, and the mental toll of never having a permanent home. Along the way they meet Ryan and Cat (a couple priced out of the housing market living in a van), a 23-year-old hitchhiker named Kyle carrying his guitar around Australia, a local legend called Bluey, and a woman who runs an orphanage in Mongolia. When the heatwave hits 40+ degrees for four straight days, they escape to the Hume Inn motel — Netflix binges, cooking in the bathroom, op shopping, and laughing like kids at the back of the classroom. But underneath the humour, Cassie's story hits hard. When she finally agrees to a proper interview, Margaret plays it back alone and cries.