Last summer, a few months after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Zac Efron was spotted frequently in Australia with a woman named Vanessa.
No, not that one. Australian model Vanessa Valladares. She reportedly met the 33-year-old High School Musical alum in the country while waitressing. The two soon sparked romance rumors and last September, E! News confirmed they were dating. Efron and Valladares would go on to be photographed together in Australia, where he rented a house, several times over the next few months.
"He's very happy being with Vanessa and living in Australia," a source close to Efron told E! News on Thursday, April 1. "It's changed his life for the better."
The source continued, "They started dating in July and have been together since. They love to travel locally and are very adventurous. They love skiing, surfing and hanging out with both his and her friends. They spend a lot of time outdoors just chilling. She quit her job so she can have the flexibility to travel with him. They are on the same page with that and it's working out for them."
Efron and Valladares, 25, have not commented publicly about their relationship.
In December 2020, months after the romance began, the actor put his Hollywood Hills mansion up for sale for $5.9 million. The price was knocked down to $5.5 million this past March.
Efron's career has also taken him Down Under. In 2019, the actor filmed the Quibi adventure series Killing Zac Efron on the island country of Papua New Guinea, located north of Australia and 2.5 hours away by plane. That December, it was reported that he was airlifted to a hospital in the Australian city of Brisbane after falling ill during filming.
He later posted on Instagram, "I did get sick in Papua New Guinea but I bounced back quick and finished an amazing 3 weeks in P.N.G. I'm home for the holidays with my friends and family. Thanks for all the love and concern, see you in 2020!"
Last year, Efron filmed a Netflix travel show, Down to Earth with Zac Efron, all over the world. He began filming season two in Australia this past March.
On Tuesday, March 30, Efron and Valladares were photographed hiking with friends in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Check out photos of the two together over the past year.
Zac and Vanessa are seen hiking in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia in late March 2021. They were joined by friends and the actor's brother, Dylan Efron.
When traveling through an airport in Australia in March 2021, Zac and Vanessa appeared to be the perfect match in their color-coordinated outfits.
Zac and Vanessa are spotted in Melbourne in March 2021, making it their first public sighting in about two months. The actor seems to be filming scenes for Down to Earth With Zac Efron.
The High School Musical alum and his sweetheart kick off 2021 with a day at the beach in Sydney. An onlooker tells E! News that the couple stop for smoothies before setting up camp on the sand.
Vanessa dries off after taking a dip in the ocean on a beach in Sydney, Australia, while Zac relaxes on the sand in January 2021.
In January 2021, the lovebirds do their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by wearing masks in Sydney. Zac and Vanessa are spotted holding hands as they join another couple for a double date.
In October 2020, Vanessa throws her man a surprise birthday party in the star-studded enclave of Byron Bay. Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands says in a later interview that the bash was well-attended by Zac's famous friends, teasing, "...there was rock stars, movie stars, television stars—a very cool Byron sort of crowd."
"He absolutely loves Australia," Sandilands adds. "Well, he's in love with this girl Vanessa. They're lovely. Beautiful couple. They do everything together. They're just really sweet, and they're lovely."
The two are spotted at Mavis' Kitchen in Mount Warning, Australia in October 2020.
The actor is first romantically linked to the model in summer 2020 when photographers spot them holding hands while out and about in Byron Bay.
"He started seeing her in July and they have been together ever since," an insider tells E! News at the time. "She spends the night at his rental house all the time. They have fun together and hang out a lot. He loves the area and the lifestyle and she has shown him a lot of great places."