Thor's fortress breached by Byron Bay 'bling ring': Wealthy 'blow-ins' terrified by home invasion as Chris Hemsworth's wife slept - but long-time locals say it was just a matter of time

The usually laid-back Northern Rivers coastal town of Byron Bay has been rocked after a gang of masked men armed with knives broke into Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth's sprawling concrete fortress in the dead of night.

Police were called to the property at Broken Head, just south of Byron Bay, about 7.30am on Wednesday following reports of a vehicle theft.

Sources close to the actor said his wife, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, had been woken by the sound of dogs barking at around 2am as the family were asleep inside.

But it was not until the following morning, when the mother-of-three checked the property's CCTV footage, that she made the disturbing discovery they had been targeted by intruders.

The cameras allegedly captured four men wearing balaclavas inside the property, with two reportedly carrying knives.

Pataky and Hemsworth subsequently contacted police.

'Officers attended and were told four unknown people had entered the property and stole three vehicles earlier that day,' NSW Police said.

'No injuries were reported.'

The intruders had reportedly scaled the secluded rainforest estate's front fence before making their way into a garage where the vehicles had been left with their keys inside.

The stolen vehicles were identified as a BYD, a Ram and a Ford Ranger Raptor.

Two have since been recovered, abandoned at Coraki, about an hour's drive away, and Tabulam, more than two hours from the property.

Police are continuing their search for the third vehicle as investigations remain ongoing.

Sources familiar with the Hemsworth compound say its security and surveillance systems were considered top of the line, but suspect the thieves may have identified a blind spot to gain access to the sprawling property.

The couple bought the original 4.2-hectare 'Kooeloah' resort property for $7million in 2014.

They subsequently demolished the old Balinese-style resort and built a sprawling eco-luxury compound complete with a 50-metre rooftop infinity pool, six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a gym, spa and media room.

The property's construction costs have previously been estimated at around $30million, but its current value is believed to have soared to an estimated $50million – with all the bells and whistles befitting the star couple.

Hemsworth and Pataky moved to the Byron Bay region with their three children more than a decade ago, joining a growing influx of wealthy blow-ins lured by the area's pristine beaches and sprawling hinterland estates.

Among their high-profile neighbours is tech millionaire and PageUp founder Karen Cariss, who snapped up her own slice of paradise for a staggering $36million last year.

Other notable residents include Hemsworth actor brothers Luke and Liam, disgraced media tycoon Antony Catalano and wife Stefanie, actress Madeleine West and The Mentalist star Simon Baker.

But behind Byron's glossy reputation as a playground for Hollywood royalty and cashed-up tycoons, locals say the region has been grappling with a far less glamorous reality.

The town, once synonymous with its laid-back hippie culture, has become increasingly divided, with soaring property prices pushing many long-term residents out of the area.

Byron Shire also has one of the country's most acute homelessness problems, with the region reportedly recording the second-largest homeless population nationally and around 12 times more rough sleepers than the average town.

This is despite a significant proportion of homes being recorded as unoccupied in the latest census.

Concerned residents have also raised the alarm about the growing presence of hard drugs, including ice, and the violence they say has accompanied the region's transient population.

There are also concerns about a spate of vehicle thefts, with locals reporting multiple car thefts in neighbouring Bangalow and Coopers Shoot over the past three weeks.

Last month, under NSW Police's Operation Setaria, The Northern Rivers Times reported that teenagers had been hit with more than 150 charges linked to a multi-town North Coast crime spree involving aggravated break-and-enters and stolen motor vehicles.

To some long-term residents, rising break-ins and fears of a 'bling ring' targeting local celebrities' homes and cars reflect a region caught between its bohemian roots and growing wealth.

And while Byron's reputation as a slice of paradise remains firmly intact, with the likes of Zac Efron and Matt Damon residing there in recent years, the area has long had a darker side.

For decades, rumours have swirled about a possible serial killer operating in the area, with a string of disappearances, suspicious deaths and violent attacks over the past 50 years fuelling speculation.

The high-profile disappearance of Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez in May 2019 continues to haunt the town and remains a tragic unsolved mystery.

The 18-year-old was last captured on CCTV leaving Byron Bay's Cheeky Monkeys nightclub, apparently looking down at his phone as he walked along the road.

Despite an extensive search, which saw his family travel from Brussels to Australia to help find him, Theo's disappearance has never been solved.

In an eerie twist, an anonymous tip submitted in 2021 to a website established to help locate Hayez led a private investigator to a dilapidated squatter's property in nearby Nimbin.

Inside, investigators discovered personal belongings belonging to local woman Thea Liddle, whose skeletal remains had been discovered almost a year earlier.

The circumstances surrounding Liddle's death remain a mystery.