Introduction
After my dog sit in Newcastle, I drove up to Port Macquarie with Luke. The plan sounded solid — suspiciously solid, actually. I was going to meet the manager of the local tennis courts, who had offered me a job as a tennis coach.
He told me he still had a room available in his apartment for $100 per week, which was insanely cheap. On top of that, he asked if I had transport. I said no, so he casually added that he’d bring me a bike I could use.
Job.
Accommodation.
Transport.
Perfect, right?
I arrived in Port Macquarie on November 14th, fully convinced I had everything figured out.
Luke was originally just going to drop me off and then continue north to visit a friend on the Gold Coast. Small problem: he hadn’t realised rental cars charge per kilometre. So the idea of “dropping me off and driving on” quickly turned into… not happening.
The moment we arrived, Luke decided he loved Port Macquarie so much that he wanted to stay. Immediately. While I was at tennis, he walked into a random hotel to ask if they needed staff.
Five minutes later: boom — job.
He also asked the tennis coach if there was an extra room available for him.
The answer was yes.
I assumed we’d each have our own room.
That assumption was wrong.
Main story / adventures
Settling in — shared rooms & unexpected kindness
Turns out we weren’t getting separate rooms after all.
Oh well. New place, new chaos.
The housemates were actually amazing: two girls from Nepal and two guys from Bangladesh, all studying and working at the same time. The apartment felt lived-in, chaotic, and safe — the good kind.
The two guys were unbelievably generous. Very much “what’s mine is yours” energy. Luke and I were constantly told to take whatever we wanted from the fridge, and sometimes they even let us borrow their scooter or car — both basically brand new. Just genuinely kind, warm people. That kind of hospitality stays with you.
The following days were… random, in the best way.
I explored the town, checked out local bars and beaches, and walked up to Tacking Point Lighthouse, which honestly took my breath away. One of those places where you just stand there quietly and think: okay, maybe life is kind of good sometimes.
Work life — fake it till you coach it
I suddenly had to start coaching tennis.
Small detail: I had absolutely no experience teaching tennis.
Zero.
Somehow, I survived. I showed up, smiled confidently, copied what I’d seen other coaches do, and hoped the kids wouldn’t notice. I was earning $30 an hour, outside, getting tan, teaching my own hobby.
Honestly? Not bad.
Life with Luke wasn’t bad either — actually, it was really good. He was my best friend there, and because he worked in a restaurant, he often brought food home for me, cooked for me, or did grocery runs. I saved so much money thanks to him. Truly unreal.
One night, we were so hungry and overstimulated that we cooked pasta at midnight just to calm ourselves down.
I also worked one shift as a dishwasher at a Mexican restaurant called Luna Bonita — and somehow, that one shift turned into another job.
Which also meant: even more free food.
What a life.
Oh, and I made some TikToks that went viral.
Casual.
Life in Port Macquarie was good. Really good.
Warm weather, slow pace, beach days, casual work. For a moment, it felt like I had landed exactly where I was supposed to be.
Reality check — confusion & too few hours
Then the tennis hours came in.
Bad news: only nine hours per week.
Good news: Luna Bonita gave me about four evenings per week, with the possibility of more.
Luke even asked at his restaurant if I could work weekends there too, and that might have been an option.
Happy Saar… but also confused Saar.
That same day, I felt weirdly sad. I couldn’t really explain it. On paper, everything looked fine — but I kept wondering what I was doing there with barely any hours. Luke and I walked around a lot, ate chocolate, and tried not to overthink everything.
Meanwhile, I was low-key trying to become TikTok famous.
It kind of worked.
I had no shame.
Eventually, things picked up. I started working four evenings a week at Luna Bonita, which helped a lot. On top of that, I found a babysitting job through Care.com — early mornings from 6–10 a.m., but great pay, and the kid slept half the time. Perfect.
Suddenly, I had four jobs, a bike, and an apartment for $150 per week — which I ended up paying for only two weeks instead of four.
More on that later.
People, pubs & accidental feelings
We visited the koala hospital (very cute, obviously), explored more of the area, and somehow ended up in a pub on a random Thursday. No plan. Just vibes.
One day, while biking home from Luna Bonita, a guy literally started running after me, shouting to get my attention — just to tell me he thought I was cute.
I thought I had dropped something.
Nope.
His name was Jan. After the koala hospital, he invited Luke and me to hang out at the Port Macquarie hostel. We went, and it was actually really fun. We talked to some girls, and because I was pretty drunk, I genuinely thought we were already best friends. Hopefully they didn’t think we were too weird.
That same night, Luke and I kissed.
Yes.
Drunk kiss.
We never spoke about it again because honestly — we were just friends. Period.
A few days later, Jan and I went for lunch. Sweet guy. Polite. Good conversations.
Plot twist: he was 18.
Immediate no. Also a bit too prude for me. Sorry Jan, love you.
Work drama, money chaos & goodbye dinners
Things at Luna Bonita slowly started to get… weird.
I had already told them I was planning to leave before Christmas to meet Mara in Melbourne. Around that time, a guy I’d met at the hostel asked if I could help him take over my job once I left, so I mentioned it to my boss.
Bad idea.
He turned out to be terrible at the job. Because of that, I was even asked to come in on my day off to “give him some tips.” I tried to help, but he constantly contradicted me, dismissed everything I said, and acted like he knew better.
It was exhausting.
That same week, my housemates organised a farewell dinner for me — which was incredibly sweet.
They cooked everything. I wasn’t even hungry — I’d already eaten nachos at work — but I still tried to eat as much as I could. The moment felt heavy, though. Luke barely touched his food and stayed mostly quiet. Awkward doesn’t even begin to describe it.
The next day was my last working day. Still nice, in its own way. After my shift, I went to Kmart and bought Luke a backpack as a small goodbye gift.
Meanwhile, my tennis job had turned into a complete mess. After chasing my paychecks for weeks, I finally received some money — first calculated at $30 per hour, then suddenly reduced to $25 because of taxes. Fair enough, maybe, but I never received a payslip, despite asking multiple times.
So I made a decision: I didn’t pay my last two weeks of rent.
What were they going to do?
In the end, I actually made money that month instead of losing it. Roughly:
- $300 from babysitting
- $450 from weekend shifts with Luke
- $1300 from Luna Bonita
- $1000 from tennis
My expenses were minimal — maybe $200 on groceries and around $100 per week on food and drinks, if that.
Not bad for chaos.
Leaving Port Macquarie — and what came next
I slowly started saying goodbye to people. Christmas decorations were going up. It felt like the end of a chapter.
Then came the longest trip of my life.
On the train, I sat next to an older woman who talked nonstop about conspiracy theories and sinus infections. By the time I arrived in Melbourne, my brain was completely fried.
My phone was dead, so I had to ask random people for directions.
Melbourne felt big. Loud. Intense.
But that’s another story.
Tips & Tricks (chaotic edition)
- Walk into random places and ask if they need staff — Luke and I both found jobs this way
- Join local Facebook groups for work opportunities
- Use platforms like Care.com for babysitting jobs — great pay, flexible hours, and often very chill
- The coastal walk from Mid North Coast Maritime Museum to Town Beach is stunning at sunset
- Tacking Point Lighthouse is a must
- Little Shack is great for coffee and cocktails
- I found my tennis job via Backpackers Job Australia
- Random pubs on weekdays are underrated
- Koala hospitals are always a good idea
- Don’t stress too much — things usually work out, even when they really shouldn’t
Reflection / closing
Everything in Port Macquarie felt messy, uncertain, and slightly ridiculous — but I loved it.
It wasn’t about having a perfect plan. It was about adapting, laughing, doubting, and still moving forward. That place taught me that even when things don’t fully make sense, they can still feel right.
Next stop: Melbourne.
Reunion with Mara. Dogsitting. New chaos.
And once again, I figured it out.
Somehow, I always did.
Wherever I am next, I am learning that even chaos can feel like a beginning.
