Zac Efron is believed to have split from Vanessa Valladares

A source said: “Zac and Vanessa looked like the real deal. They were besotted with each other.

“Zac has been renting a place by the beach in Byron Bay and by ¬September Vanessa was living with him there.

“So once he decided to stay in Australia long term, he suggested they buy their first home.

"They’d started to look at a few places but, sadly, fate wasn’t on their side.”

Zac has recently moved away from Byron Bay to Adelaide to film his new movie, ‘Gold’, which requires him to quarantine in place because of the coronavirus pandemic, meaning he can’t return to the Bay to see Vanessa.

And the distance is said to have already put a strain on their relationship, ultimately causing them to call it quits.

The source added to The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “Zac’s work and the ¬¬enforced distance has really taken its toll.

“Friends hope they can reunite, but it seems their relationship was more like a holiday romance than they cared to admit.”

Meanwhile, it was recently claimed the 33-year-old actor couldn’t be happier with Vanessa.

Another source said last month: "Zac and Vanessa are very happy. They celebrated Zac's birthday with friends before the weekend. Their relationship is very serious. Vanessa lives with Zac in Byron Bay.”

The ‘Greatest Showman’ actor met Vanessa whilst she was working at the Byron Bay General Store & Cafe earlier this year.