Anyone who lives near a beautiful beachfront area knows that once the weather starts to get nice, the tourists start to swarm that area you may call home, no matter the weather. In this horrific pattern of migratory malfeasance, Australia’s Byron Bay finds itself enduring a plague of that special breed of people who drive up real estate prices and make the area hell on Earth for the locals: celebrities. At least, that’s what it sounds like after a recent item in the Australian press obtained comments that while folks like Chris Hemsworth and Zac Efron are the latest residents in their beautiful haven, they don’t want ‘em there.
This issue came up in the midst of a write-up provided by News.com.au, where the recent influx of celebrities was commented on by those who have known the pleasures of Byron Bay way before it was trendy. And the Hemsworth/Efron beefcake train isn’t the only one pulling into the station, as Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy and not only Golden Globe nominee Sacha Baron Cohen, but also Isla Fisher, have been spotted as Byron Bay visitors. It’s enough to rile up the locals, and as you’ll see in the comment below, all the tourism money in the world isn’t enough to make them worth the headaches:
Hemsworth and the celebrities – I’m over ’em. Any true local will say we’re off ’em. We don’t.
It certainly doesn’t help that the area near Byron Bay has become the home to productions that these stars just happen to be making. Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy are both filming the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers nearby, and while Sydney is roughly eight hours away from Byron Bay, it’s close enough for Chris Hemsworth to more than likely retreat to when taking a break from filming Thor: Love and Thunder. Plus, if you’re wondering why Zac Efron decided to leave his California home for Australia’s natural splendor, his girlfriend and his career are to thank.
What’s a local to do when Byron Bay has become the latest tourist destination for celebrities and those who follow their movements? Well, that’s a question that’s not easily answered, as it does still seem like a natural progression of population, rather than some sort of deliberate play to wreck havoc on the area’s ecosystem. But surely there has to be a balance between the brand new residents setting up camp in this formerly idyllic town, right? Time will certainly tell, but if future release schedules see productions moving their shoots to the beautiful and relatively COVID-19 free land of Australia, this might only be the beginning of the boom.
