How Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have lured celebrities to Byron Bay

They’ve been building a $9million mega-mansion in Byron Bay for almost two years, drawing international attention to the trendy coastal town in the process. 

And it seems Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky’s blissfully laid-back lifestyle in the NSW hippie hotspot has inspired a slew of other celebrities to buy up property nearby.

From Hollywood couple Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso to The Project’s Carrie Bickmore and former Block winner Elyse Knowles, it seems A-listers can’t resist the pull of the Northern Rivers. 

From hippy hangout to the celebrity capital of Australia: How Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky’s boho lifestyle transformed Byron Bay – as Matt Damon, Carrie Bickmore and Elyse Knowles buy luxury homes in the coastal town 

Work in progress: Chris and Elsa have been building their $9million mega-mansion in Byron Bay for almost two years. Pictured: An aerial view of construction taken in June 2018

Work in progress: Chris and Elsa have been building their $9million mega-mansion in Byron Bay for almost two years. Pictured: An aerial view of construction taken in June 2018

Chris and Elsa embarked on their $9million project, a fortress-like mansion at Seven Mile Beach, in 2016. While construction is underway, they have been living in a rented property nearby.

The A-list couple often play host to their celebrity friends in Byron Bay, including Matt Damon and his family as well as Chris’ brother Liam Hemsworth and his wife Miley Cyrus 

After the Hemsworths brought Hollywood glamour to the town, a handful of local stars followed.

Australian TV’s golden girl Carrie Bickmore, 37, has secured a $3million four-bedroom holiday bungalow just a stone’s throw away from stunning Clarkes Beach. 

The presenter, who previously enjoyed a summer break in Byron with her partner Chris Walker and their children, decided to invest in a house there last year.   

Dream home: Chris and Elsa embarked on their ambitious project, a fortress-like mansion at Seven Mile Beach, in 2016. While construction is underway, they have been living in a rented property nearby

Dream home: Chris and Elsa embarked on their ambitious project, a fortress-like mansion at Seven Mile Beach, in 2016. While construction is underway, they have been living in a rented property nearby

Famous faces: Matt Damon and and his wife Luciana Barroso are known to be fans of Byron Bay

Hey, neighbour! The Damon family are currently renting a $24,000-a-month mansion next to Chris and Elsa

Famous faces: Matt Damon and and his wife Luciana Barroso are known to be fans of Byron Bay. They are currently renting a $24,000-a-month mansion next to Chris and Elsa

Stunning: Matt and Luciana's Byron Bay rental boasts four bathrooms, a wraparound entertainer's deck with a built-in barbecue and a heated outdoor swimming pool (pictured)

Stunning: Matt and Luciana’s Byron Bay rental boasts four bathrooms, a wraparound entertainer’s deck with a built-in barbecue and a heated outdoor swimming pool (pictured)

Her new, fully-furnished holiday home is a white weatherboard cottage first built in the 1920s. It has recently been renovated.

Carrie, who is based in Melbourne for The Project, is able to enjoy a holiday home set in lush green gardens featuring swings and hammocks.

Meanwhile, The Block 2017 winners Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker announced last week they would be moving to the trendy coastal town. 

Lavish: Matt and Damon will be staying at the five-bedroom beachfront property until mid-April. Pictured: the living room

Lavish: Matt and Damon will be staying at the five-bedroom beachfront property until mid-April. Pictured: the living room

‘We have always had this dream, we have decided to make it reality. The new adventure has begun!’ Elyse wrote on Instagram.

‘We have packed up our lives and are moving to Byron Bay! I can’t believe it’s happening and it’s real now! So excited for our new adventure with my man,’ she added

Oscar winner Matt Damon is also a known fan of Byron Bay, and is currently renting a $24,000-a-month mansion next to Chris and Elsa. 

The Good Will Hunting star, 48, and his wife Luciana Barroso, 43, will be staying at the five-bedroom beachfront pad until mid-April.

Lavish:  The mansion, which is just a short stroll from the beach, will no doubt serve Matt, Luciana and their daughters Isabella and Gia well during their extended holiday

Lavish:  The mansion, which is just a short stroll from the beach, will no doubt serve Matt, Luciana and their daughters Isabella and Gia well during their extended holiday

Proud homeowners: Australian TV's golden girl Carrie Bickmore has secured a $3million four-bedroom holiday bungalow just a stone's throw away from stunning Clarkes Beach. Pictured with her boyfriend Chris Walker

Proud homeowners: Australian TV’s golden girl Carrie Bickmore has secured a $3million four-bedroom holiday bungalow just a stone’s throw away from stunning Clarkes Beach. Pictured with her boyfriend Chris Walker

Charming: The Project host's new, fully furnished holiday home is a white weatherboard cottage first built in the 1920s

Charming: The Project host’s new, fully furnished holiday home is a white weatherboard cottage first built in the 1920s

Matt and Luciana’s rental boasts four bathrooms, a wraparound entertainer’s deck with a built-in barbecue and a heated outdoor swimming pool.

The mansion, which is just a short stroll from the beach, will no doubt serve Matt, Luciana and their daughters Isabella and Gia well during their extended holiday.

Byron Bay has become Matt and Luciana’s second home, with the family often visiting to spend time with Chris and his family.

Last year, the Damons rented a $4million home there for four months.

Picturesque: Melbourne-based Carrie is able to enjoy a holiday home set in lush green gardens and featuring swings and hammocks

Picturesque: Melbourne-based Carrie is able to enjoy a holiday home set in lush green gardens and featuring swings and hammocks

Light and airy: Meanwhile, the inside features wooden flooring and beach-inspired textures

Light and airy: Meanwhile, the inside features wooden flooring and beach-inspired textures 

Meanwhile, Australian model Gemma Ward and her photographer partner David Letts own a three-bedroom summer home in Suffolk Park, which they bought in 2015.  

The idyllic property is within walking distance of Tallow Beach and comes fully furnished with a swimming pool, heated spa and large entertainment area.

Grease star Olivia Newton-John snapped up a 136-acre country estate near Byron Bay in the early 1980s.     

Exciting news: The Block 2017 winners Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker announced last week they will be moving to Byron Bay

Exciting news: The Block 2017 winners Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker announced last week they will be moving to Byron Bay

Olivia, who says her Dalwood farm offers her ‘total privacy [and] peaceful calming energy’, snapped up adjoining lots over the years and her Byron Bay hideaway now includes a creek, two dams and a tennis court.

The 70-year-old songstress recently listed her beloved property after 40 years, but often stays at her nearby Gaia Retreat & Spa she co-founded in 2005, which is located in the hinterlands of Byron Bay.

Meanwhile, Socceroos star Tim Cahill bought a $1.7million 13-hectare hobby farm in Byron Bay in 2017.  

Early advocate: Grease star Olivia Newton-John snapped up a 136-acre country estate near Byron Bay in the early 1980s

Early advocate: Grease star Olivia Newton-John snapped up a 136-acre country estate near Byron Bay in the early 1980s

Her empire: Olivia says her Dalwood farm offers her 'privacy [and] peaceful calming energy'. Pictured: One of the bedrooms

Her empire: Olivia says her Dalwood farm offers her ‘privacy [and] peaceful calming energy’. Pictured: One of the bedrooms

Panoramic views: Olivia snapped up adjoining lots over the years and her Byron Bay hideaway now includes a creek, two dams and a tennis court

Panoramic views: Olivia snapped up adjoining lots over the years and her Byron Bay hideaway now includes a creek, two dams and a tennis court

Tim’s colonial-style homestead, built in 2007, features wooden floorboards and a spacious kitchen as well as five fully fenced paddocks and a large spring-fed dam.

Angus Stone, one half of the Angus and Julia Stone musical duo, grew up in a suburb near Palm Beach but now lives on a 50-acre farm just outside of Byron Bay. 

His sprawling estate includes a lily pond and golf course that is so large he uses golf buggies to get around.  

End of an era: Olivia, 70, recently listed her beloved property after 40 years. Pictured: one of the bathrooms

End of an era: Olivia, 70, recently listed her beloved property after 40 years. Pictured: one of the bathrooms

Sticking around: Despite selling her primary home in Byron Bay, Olivia often stays at her nearby Gaia Retreat & Spa she co-founded in 2005. Pictured: her Dalwood farm

Sticking around: Despite selling her primary home in Byron Bay, Olivia often stays at her nearby Gaia Retreat & Spa she co-founded in 2005. Pictured: her Dalwood farm 

The 32-year-old’s guitarist’s property had no running water or electricity when he first bought it, but is now a fully functioning farm with 50 cattle.

He works on his music in a state-of-the-art recording studio built in an old shack and lives in a yurt at the top of a hill overlooking the vast countryside. 

Other A-listers who have been drawn to Byron Bay’s hippie lifestyle include Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe and Elle Macpherson, who all stayed at a secluded guesthouse at Wategos Beach. 

Another famous face: Australian model Gemma Ward has a three-bedroom summer home in Suffolk Park

Another famous face: Australian model Gemma Ward has a three-bedroom summer home in Suffolk Park

Lush surroundings: Gemma and and her photographer partner David Letts bought their Byron Bay home in 2015

Lush surroundings: Gemma and and her photographer partner David Letts bought their Byron Bay home in 2015

Looks good! The idyllic property is within walking distance of Tallow Beach and comes fully furnished with a swimming pool, heated spa and large entertainment area. Pictured: the kitchen

Looks good! The idyllic property is within walking distance of Tallow Beach and comes fully furnished with a swimming pool, heated spa and large entertainment area. Pictured: the kitchen

Actresses Naomi Watts and Margot Robbie are also regular visitors.

INXS drummer Jon Farriss, singer Natalie Imbruglia, actress Isabel Lucas and sports legend Pat Rafter are other notable people to own property in the town. 

It comes after Chris and Elsa’s move to Byron Bay sparked a rise in housing prices, according to Real Estate  economist Nerida Conisbee. 

Rural tastes: Socceroos star Tim Cahill bought a $1.7million 13-hectare hobby farm in Byron Bay in 2017

Rural tastes: Socceroos star Tim Cahill bought a $1.7million 13-hectare hobby farm in Byron Bay in 2017

Impressive: Tim's colonial-style homestead, built in 2 features wooden floorboards and a spacious kitchen

Lovely: Tim’s colonial-style homestead features wooden floorboards and a spacious kitchen. Pictured: a view from the garden

The height of country living! It also has five fully fenced paddocks and a large spring-fed dam

The height of country living! It also has five fully fenced paddocks and a large spring-fed dam

‘There’s always been a lot of celebrities who have loved living up in that area but they [the Hemsworths] are very high profile and they are giving the area a very high profile as well,’ she said last year.

Explaining that prices are booming as a result, Conisbee added: ‘This would definitely be pushing Byron Bay up the list in terms of international visibility.’ 

The median property price in Byron Bay has reportedly reached $1.75million, which is higher than many house prices in Sydney.  

Back to nature: Angus Stone (pictured), one half of the Angus and Julia Stone musical duo, grew up in a suburb near Palm Beach but now lives on a 50-acre farm just outside of Byron Bay

Back to nature: Angus Stone (pictured), one half of the Angus and Julia Stone musical duo, grew up in a suburb near Palm Beach but now lives on a 50-acre farm just outside of Byron Bay

Magnificent: His sprawling estate includes a lily pond and golf course that is so large he uses golf buggies to get around

Magnificent: His sprawling estate includes a lily pond and golf course that is so large he uses golf buggies to get around

Well developed: The 32-year-old's guitarist's property had no running water or electricity when he first bought it, but is now a fully functioning farm with 50 cattle

Well developed: The 32-year-old’s guitarist’s property had no running water or electricity when he first bought it, but is now a fully functioning farm with 50 cattle 

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