Thor star Chris Hemsworth is a Lord of the Rings fan

Chris Hemsworth, also known as Thor, was spotted in Whangarei today. If it wasn't him it was a convincing lookalike also named Chris.

When a tall, buff man with an Australian accent walked into a second-hand bookshop in Whangarei the observant staff member thought "you're hot, you look like Thor".

Sam, who did not want her surname used, from The Piggery bookshop on Walton St, was trying to keep her cool - if the handsome man who walked into the shop alone about 1pm on Wednesday wasn't Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor) then it was a "damn good" doppelganger.

"I was trying to be mature which is hard for me. I'm like 'okay, you're hot you look like Thor'. But I thought 'no, act cool'," Sam said.

"I showed him where the Lord of the Rings books were, which is what he was after, and asked if he needed help. I got my phone and texted my boss and said 'there's a guy in here who is the exact replica of Thor. He's tall, he's blond, he's buff, he's hot.'"

Her boss Chloe replied and asked if he was Australian, which he was. Sam was pretty sure this man was the same man who had starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor and The Avengers, and the sequels.

Then he approached the counter with his purchase - the Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King book.

Sam from The Piggery in Whangarei says if Australian actor Chris Hemsworth did not walk into the store yesterday it was a "damn good" doppelganger. Photo/John Stone

"I said 'is your name Chris?' and he said 'yes' and winked ... It was a thigh clencher," she said laughing.

Sam said Hemsworth paid for the book with three $2 coins which she wants to keep or frame.

She said the only other people in the store were two American tourists, a German tourist and a local Northlander. She said everyone was looking at Hemsworth but didn't say anything.

"I wanted to take a photo but I thought I don't know what my boss would think about that. I didn't think it was appropriate," she said.

Then Hemsworth, who was wearing blue denim jeans, a white t-shirt and a hat which was on backwards, left the store and headed towards the Whangarei CBD.

The Northern Advocate went on a hunt through town to see if Hemsworth was hiding out at a local cafe, or shop but could not find him.

Local taxi drivers said they had seen handsome Kiwi men but no Aussies. Staff at The Old Stone Butter Factory and Dickens Inn bars said Hemsworth had not been in for a drink but wouldn't mind us bringing him in if we tracked him down.

Hemsworth had not been into Paper Plus to buy a Lotto ticket and a man working at Traditional Kiwi Kai said he had not been in to buy some kina, but he would offer Hemsworth a free hangi.

But Jocelyn Tawhi commented on Facebook saying "Yup it's him!! I saw him today when I went to ANZ."