Hollywood star Zac Efron has been revealed to be quietly living in Australia as he works hard to build his dream home. The actor has been secretly residing in Byron Bay while developing his 128-hectare block of rainforest land in the Tweed Valley, approximately an hour inland from Byron. He purchased the property back in 2020 at a discounted price during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to reports, development has been well underway for the past few months. Efron has enlisted Australian environmental designer Joost Bakker to create an off-grid home dubbed "Futurecave." The property aims to be a self-sustaining, zero-waste residence, covered with plant ecosystems designed to support insects and help other species thrive.
While news of the development was confirmed last month after Bakker revealed planning approval, it was previously unknown that Efron had been staying in Australia during construction, maintaining a low profile. "Excited to get started on Zac's house!" Bakker wrote on Instagram last month.
Sources close to the Hollywood star claim he is looking to relocate permanently Down Under after listing his Los Angeles mansion for sale. "He just loves the Australian mentality and attitude, and he just wants to spend time in nature," Bakker told Homes To Love.
In a later interview with Domain, Bakker shared: "We're using the building to get a lot of endangered insects and species back on track. So we can actually use the building to create habitat rather than take away from it." He added, "For the past year we've experimented with making hemp blocks, replacing concrete with two materials that restore the environment. Hemp: possibly the best plant on earth at repairing and restoring."
Plans reveal a series of interconnected pods linked by walkways, providing approximately 830 square metres of living space. The design also includes a gym and rooftops covered in extensive vegetation.
This news comes just weeks after it was announced that Efron and distributor A24 are set to collaborate on a TV project – a new adaptation of the novel that inspired the 1987 cult film Angel Heart. The project, made in partnership with HBO, will follow a down-and-out New York City paparazzo who makes a living finding and photographing elusive individuals. Efron's character is hired by a mysterious man to locate a missing woman, but as he digs deeper, it appears a group of powerful elites, and perhaps something supernatural, are covering up the disappearance.
