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'Air force baby': Why this Aussie TikToker is moving into Changi Airport

TikToker Maddy MacRae (inset) and Changi Airport, where she is living for a week. By Sarah Falson Updated July 29 2025 - 1:59pm, first published 12:52pm Move over Tom Hanks, an Australian comedian and TikToker has moved into Changi Airport until August. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue reading All articles from our website The digital version of Today's Paper All other in your area Can you actually die of boredom living in an airport? Sydneysider Maddy MacRae plans to find out for a week, and live stream her way through it. The viral sensation said she was inspired to live in an airport after watching Tom Hanks in the 2004 film The Terminal recently, and just had to try it out for herself. She chose well; there are definitely more boring airports out there than Singapore's Changi, which was named World's Best Airport 2025 by Skytrax. "It's quite insane how much stuff you can do at Changi - more than you probably expect," Ms MacRae told ACM (the publisher of this masthead). "I'm looking forward to visiting Jewel, which is this huge entertainment and shopping complex connected to the four terminals. It looks like there's lots of things to do there, which should help pass the time. Ooo and the butterfly garden. Can't forget that." Changi does indeed have an actual butterfly garden, as well as a cactus garden, a park with floral canopies, the Enchanted Garden full of orchids, and another garden called Dreamscape which "merges Nature and Technology in a magical symphony", according to the Changi website. Jewel Changi Airport is a multi-dimensional entertainment and retail complex, and the airport also boasts luxury shops, a huge array of food outlets, a swimming pool and a dinosaur trail called Jurassic Mile. Changi's Butterfly Garden. Ms MacRae isn't slumming it like Mr Hanks and sleeping across the airport seats; the TikToker is staying at the Crowne Plaza hotel inside Changi Airport. "I figured that if I'm going to be living inside an airport for a week, I at least deserve a decent night's sleep," she said. Ms MacRae's TikTok includes humorous content about friends, weddings, family, relationships and dating, and she also posts a healthy amount of travel content. She revealed travel had an important place in her life, and not just because it's fun. "I'm an air force baby! My dad was in the air force and is now a Qantas pilot, so I've been so very lucky to travel throughout my life," she said. "And now my job takes me all over the world and I get to share that with my audience. Learning about new cultures and trying new experiences and foods has always been the best part about travelling." Changi's Jewel Rain Vortex Rainbow. Her travel content includes a bit about the latest airline trend in which they record their safety demonstrations "anywhere but on a plane", as well as the ultra-organised individual who organises the friend-group holiday and keeps everyone on a tight schedule. Ms MacRae called travel content "so relatable". "I loved making the safety demonstration video but I've also made a couple on airport security being the scariest experience ever and also watching someone else's movie on a plane rather than your own - why is their movie so captivating when I can't even hear it and I have a screen right in front of me??" she said. Follow Maddy MacRae @maddy_macrae_ on TikTok to see her shenanigans at Changi Airport, including live streams, until she heads home on Saturday, August 2. Words by Sarah Falson Sarah is ACM's travel producer. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!.My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life. My top travel tip is … Don't plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what's within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.