Chris Hemsworth is apparently ‘wary’ of the recent influx of Sydneysiders to Byron Bay, the coastal New South Wales town he and his family have called home for seven years.
The Thor star, 37, who moved to Byron from Los Angeles in 2014, is said to have expressed slight disapproval of city types flocking to the tourist hotspot during the Covid-19 pandemic, in this month’s edition of Men’s Health Australia.
While Chris wasn’t quoted directly on the subject, the journalist who interviewed him, Men’s Health Deputy Editor Ben Jhoty, noted the actor’s apparent ‘wariness’ of visitors.
Chris Hemsworth (pictured with wife Elsa Pataky) is apparently ‘wary’ of the recent influx of Sydneysiders to Byron Bay, the coastal New South Wales town he and his family have called home for seven years
As the conversation turned to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns, Mr Jhoty wrote: ‘Of course, there are worse places to be locked down than Byron Bay. And like a good local, Hemsworth was wary of the influx of visitors escaping Sydney last year.
‘At the same time, he can understand the appeal as well as the environmental payoffs of decentralisation.’
Hemsworth was then quoted directly as he spoke generally about Covid-19 encouraging city dwellers to escape to rural areas.
He said: ‘Maybe that’s what it forces us to do, just spread out a little and not live on top of each other so much. And be a bit more self-sufficient and consume more local produce. It was be a huge positive if that was the by-product of this experience.’
The actor, who moved to Byron from LA in 2014, is said to have expressed slight disapproval of city types flocking to the tourist hotspot during the Covid-19 pandemic, in this month’s edition of Men’s Health Australia. Pictured: crowds at Byron Bay’s Main Beach in March last year
Elsewhere in the wide-ranging interview, Hemsworth spoke about the ups and downs of his career, his ambitions to produce his own movies, and his fitness regimen for Thor: Love and Thunder.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Chris’ Australian representatives at Morrissey Management for clarification regarding his comments about visitors to Byron Bay.
Chris moved to Byron with his wife, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, and their children, daughter India Rose, eight, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, six, in 2014.
They live in the suburb of Broken Head, a 20 minute drive from central Byron, in a mega-mansion estimated to be worth $30million.
They spent years renovating their home, which sits on 4.2 hectares of land, with the help of Sydney-based MCK Architects – but the development faced some resistance from locals, who compared it to a multi-storey car park or shopping centre.
The property features a 50-metre infinity pool, a large Indigenous mural, two bars and a gym complex including steam, sauna and massage rooms.
Last month, a Byron Bay real estate agent who has sold homes to the Hemsworths and other celebrities insisted Hollywood stars weren’t the ones driving up property prices in the trendy coastal town.
While frustrated locals blame a few high-profile residents for the influx of wannabe models and social media influencers to the area in recent years, Peter Yopp of LJ Hooker Byron Bay says it wasn’t A-listers spending the most money.
Mr Yopp told Realestate.com.au the soaring house and rent prices in Byron Bay were actually the result of the ‘secretly rich’ splashing the cash.
‘To be honest, the people with the real money look like they don’t have any money. You wouldn’t even know who they are,’ he said.
Mr Yopp also revealed sale prices were constantly rising, with new records being set whenever a luxury property changes hands.
‘The latest sale is the new bottom,’ he told the website. ‘As soon as something else comes along, it supersedes it [in price].’
According to Domain, the median house price in Byron Bay is now more than $1.44million, which is up 22.8 per cent from last year.
Meanwhile, rent has ‘jumped by a third in six months’, reports Realestate.com.au.
Notable Byron Bay residents include Hemsworth brothers Chris, Luke and Liam; model Elyse Knowles, who bought a $2.3million beach house last year; and The Project host Carrie Bickmore, who rents out her $3million holiday home to visitors.
In addition to the famous locals, many Hollywood stars have rented in Byron Bay while visiting Australia, including Zac Efron, Natalie Portman and Mark Wahlberg, who spent his 14-day quarantine at a luxury $2,500-a-night retreat in the area.
Domain claims that nearby towns like Lennox Head, Suffolk Park, Pottsville and Brunswick Heads have seen an increase in tourism as Byron Bay becomes increasingly pricey.
But even those more humble towns are seeing property prices soar, with prices in Lennox Head going up 44.7 per cent. Pottsville has a median house price of $780,000, up from $500,000 five years ago.