In 2014, Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky swapped the bright lights of Hollywood for a quieter life in the idyllic Byron Bay.

And on Friday, Thor star Chris was spotted doting on his children as he picked them up from school and took them to a playdate with friends.

The 37-year-old showed off his buff physique and bulging biceps in a T-shirt and was spotted holding hands with his children as they crossed a busy road in the coastal town.

Chris cut a casual figure in his T-shirt, a pair of black shorts and beige runners.

The Hollywood heavyweight teamed the look with dark sunglasses and a cap.

He seemed relaxed on the outing and was seen talking to a Byron Bay local, presumably another parent.

Chris and his wife, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, own a $20million mega-mansion in Broken Head, near Byron Bay.

In January, Elsa spoke to Vogue about living Down Under with Chris and their three children, saying their old life in Hollywood had been ‘consuming’.

‘I feel Hollywood consumes you in such a way that it feels like work all the time. I think when you’re in it you don’t even realise but when you get out, it changes everything,’ she said.

Elsa added that she had always dreamed of raising her children in nature, and relocating to the Australian coast allowed her to do that.

‘I wanted to pick my kids up, I wanted to take them to school, I wanted to be part of the school and be involved in what they do,’ she said.

Life in Byron Bay has also allowed Elsa to have a farm with horses, which she regularly rides with her daughter, India.

She explained: ‘When we were trying to find a property, I had to have a place where I could have horses and my kids could be with them and enjoy that, too.’

Having lived in the quiet community since 2014, the Fast and Furious star now feels ‘privileged’ to enjoy such a beautiful life.

Chris and Elsa share three children, daughter India Rose, eight, and twin sons Tristan and Sasha, six.