Zac Efron was finally spotted in Byron Bay on Wednesday after weeks of speculation he has been living in the popular New South Wales coastal town amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Following a string of unconfirmed sightings, the Hollywood star was pictured getting friendly with local woman Vanessa Valladares at the Byron Bay General Store café.
In photos obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia, the Baywatch star hugged the brunette and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek.
There is nothing romantic going on between them, however, because Zac is in a long-term relationship with actress Halston Sage, 26.
There he is! Hollywood star Zac Efron was finally spotted in Byron Bay on Wednesday, after weeks of speculaton
Getting friendly with the locals: The actor looked content as he got friendly with pretty brunette local, Vanessa Valladares, at the Byron Bay General Store cafe
Zac – who was rumoured to have been lying low in the coastal town during the global pandemic – attempted to go incognito during the outing, wearing a hoodie and baseball cap that covered a portion of his face.
The hunky actor was forced to take a break from his movie star commitments due to COVID-19 and appears to be making the most of his time off.
The Dirty Grandpa favourite enjoyed a beer as he chatted away to Vanessa before she lent in for a kiss and a hug.
She then took out her phone, as the pair presumably exchanged numbers.
It isn’t difficult to see why Zac is drawn to Vanessa, as her Instagram shows her posing in a plethora of artsy bikini-clad snaps in her idyllic, sun-soaked surroundings.
After spending time with the beauty at the cafe, Zac hopped into his car and continued on with his day.
Local brew: The Dirty Grandpa favourite enjoyed a beer as he chatted away to Vanessa before she lent in for a kiss and a hug
Familiar: The pair appeared to know each other well
Low-key: Zac attempted to go incognito for his outing with a hoodie and baseball cap covering a portion of his face
Under the radar: Zac – who was rumoured to have been lying low in the coastal town during the global pandemic – attempted to go incognito for his outing, wearing a hoodie and baseball cap that covered a portion of his face
Loving life: Zac, who was forced to take a break from his movie star commitments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, appeared to be making the most of his time off
The hunk’s familiarity with the brunette Vanessa appears to confirm social media influencer Tarsha Whitmore’s claims that she had seen him at the same cafe a few weeks earlier.
‘Don’t mean to alarm anyone, but Zac Efron was literally eating at the same cafe as me when this was taken,’ she wrote last month.
Another local claimed they had spotted the actor on the main beach a couple of weeks ago, sporting a slightly rounder physique and going incognito with a beard, baseball cap and dark glasses.
Zac is said to have been quietly living five minutes away from popular nudist hotspot Belongil Beach for months.
What a treat! Zac appeared to thoroughly enjoy his afternoon with Vanessa as the local eatery
Lucky girl! Vanessa was all too happy to give the Dirty Grandpa star a squeeze
Looking good: Vanessa flashed a peek of her abs in a cropped blue top and brown suede trousers
Swapping digits: Vanessa then took out her phone, as the pair presumably exchanged numbers
What a babe! It isn’t difficult to see why Zac is drawn to stunning Byron Bay waitress Vanessa
Zac previously said it was ‘easy’ keeping a low profile during his visits to Australia because of the sparsely-populated beaches down the coast.
‘What I love about Australia, which is what we don’t have in California, is there are so many wide-open beaches where no one is at,’ he said.
Sizzling: Vanessa’s Instagram shows her posing in a plethora of artsy bikini-clad snaps in her idyllic, sun-soaked surroundings
Pretty: She also shares a lot selfies which put focus on her chiselled cheekbones and striking features
Heading off: After spending time with Vanessa, Zac hopped into his car to continue his day
His new home? The hunk’s familiarity with stunning Vanessa appeared to confirm social media influencer Tarsha Whitmore’s claims that she had seen him at the local joint a few weeks earlier
Zac is said to have fallen so deeply in love with the sun-kissed area that he’s now considering purchasing the home in which he’s been staying.
According to The Sunday Telegraph, the American star has reportedly made an inquiry about buying the Byron Beach Retreats property, named The Boardwalk.
The beachfront property is located in the coastal suburb Broken Head – a very close town to Byron Bay and a seven-minute drive from the Byron centre.
Low-key cool: Enjoying the winter sunshine, the handsome actor added to his low-key look with a pair of shorts
Moving here? It looks like Zac has very much made himself at home in Byron Bay after seeking out the local hotspots
![Hiding out: His sighting came amid rumours Zac had spent the past few months lying low in Byron Bay to escape the coronavirus pandemic in the United States [Pictured on Neflix's Down To Earth show]](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/07/02/00/30204728-8481499-Hiding_out_It_comes_amid_unconfirmed_rumours_Zac_has_spent_the_p-a-6_1593646264266.jpg?resize=633%2C356&ssl=1)
Hiding out: His sighting came amid rumours Zac had spent the past few months lying low in Byron Bay to escape the coronavirus pandemic in the United States [Pictured on Neflix’s Down To Earth show]
The lavish property has private beach access, a 12-metre magnesium pool and spa as well as boardwalks with tropical gardens.
The luxurious home also has five bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms and huge bi-fold doors that open the kitchen and lounge pavilions on to decks.
Days later, Realestate.com.au speculated the star was likely staying at either Baywatch at Wategos, which is part of Byron Bay Luxury Homes, or local hotspot Rae’s on Wategos.
Spacious and modern: According to The Sunday Telegraph , the American star has reportedly made an inquiry about buying the Byron Beach Retreats property, named The Boardwalk
Privacy: The property has private beach access, a 12-metre magnesium pool and spa as well as boardwalks with tropical gardens
Outdoor living: It also has huge bi-fold doors that open the kitchen and lounge pavilions on to decks
Location: The beachfront property is located in the coastal suburb Broken Head – a very close town to Byron Bay and a seven-minute drive from the Byron centre
Rae’s is an ‘exclusive boutique retreat in an idyllic beachfront setting’, and its penthouse rooms cost up to $2,000 a night.
Baywatch at Wategos is nestled underneath the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse.
The rental home is located on Wategos Beach and offers guests spectacular views of the water and Julian Rocks.
Home sweet home? According to Realestate.com.au, the 32-year-old actor is likely staying at Baywatch at Wategos, which is nestled underneath the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse
Wow! The beachfront home offers guests spectacular views of the water and Julian Rocks
Location: Zac could also be staying at Rae’s on Wategos, a luxe hotel located on Wategos Beach
Luxurious: Rae’s is an ‘exclusive boutique retreat in an idyllic beachfront setting’, and its penthouse rooms cost up to $2,000 a night
Zac was last pictured in his hometown of Los Angeles on January 25.
In April, his former High School Musical co-stars all reunited via video link to sing a rendition of We’re All in This Together.
However, Zac raised eyebrows when it was revealed he wouldn’t be a part of the singalong due to a ‘bad Wi-Fi’ connection – fuelling speculation he was living somewhere remote.
The California native is known to jump at the opportunity to fly Down Under, whether it’s for work or a secret surfing holiday.
In December, Zac was flown to Brisbane for urgent medical attention after being struck down with a serious infection while filming a TV show in Papua New Guinea.
‘I did get sick in Papua New Guinea, but I bounced back quick and finished an amazing three weeks in PNG,’ he later told his Instagram followers.
Zac previously said it was ‘easy’ keeping a low profile during his visits to Australia because of the sparsely-populated beaches down the coast.