Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky are the poster couple for Byron Bay, the gorgeous coastal town in northern New South Wales that has become a hotspot for celebrities in recent years.
Many fans of the pair have wondered how they could give up their lavish life in Hollywood as certified A-listers for the quieter life in Australia. Now, Elsa has opened up about the real reason they moved their family to Byron Bay.
“When you’re in Los Angeles, work suffocates you,” she told NewsCorp.“There, all the conversations, even the billboards you see on the street, have to do with the world of cinema and its industry.”
She continued: “It can make you lose perspective.”
As for why they didn’t relocate to her home country of Spain, the actress explained that there’s nothing quite like the Australian landscape.
“Living in Madrid is complicated when you’ve already lived in the countryside, in the middle of nature, it’s hard,” she said.
Elsa and Chris bought their 4.2-hectare estate in 2014 for a cool $7 million, and went on to build a luxurious mansion on the property complete with six bedrooms, a spa, games and media rooms, an infinity pool and a state-of-the-art home gym.
The Thor actor echoed his wife’s comments in a 2020 interview with Modern Luxury, admitting that the world of Hollywood had gotten too restrictive.
“I love what I do as an actor, but when you are surrounded by it constantly, it becomes a bit suffocating,” he told the publication.
© Getty Images“It’s nice to have conversations with people and be a part of a community that doesn’t live and breathe that world.”
“LA is a tough place to get around with kids,” Chris added. “There’s not a whole lot of foot traffic. It was all about loading up the car and car seats. Here, we just walk out the door and head to the beach down the street. It’s a much more simple life.”
He explained that moving to Byron Bay and living on the sprawling acreage “has been the best thing” for their three kids.
© InstagramChris and Elsa welcomed their eldest child, India, in May 2012, followed by their twin boys, Tristan and Sasha, in March 2014.
The couple aren’t the only celebrities to put their roots down in New South Wales and escape the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.
Iron Claw star Zac Efron set out to build a zero-waste home in Tomewin, a town an hour away from Byron Bay, reportedly costing $2.685 million according to The Daily Telegraph. The actor fell in love with the area while filming his hit Netflix show, Down To Earth with Zac Efron.
© InstagramChris’ younger brother, Liam Hemsworth, also nabbed a property nearby, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, worth approximately $20 million.
Further south, Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban purchased a $6.5 million estate in the Southern Highlands, just over an hour’s drive from Sydney.
Their home reportedly boasts a large swimming pool, a gym, a tennis court and 10 marble fireplaces. They also own several apartments in Sydney’s Milson’s Point, including a three-bedroom unit worth $6 million.
Read the full article here
