Liam Hemsworth Plays Scrabble with Girlfriend During Quarantine: 'It Made Me Nostalgic'

Liam Hemsworth has been enjoying his time down under.

The actor, 30, who is currently starring in the new on-demand movie Arkansas, is currently quarantining in his native Phillip Island, Australia, with his girlfriend, model Gabriella Brooks.

"It's just a very mellow area where I grew up," he tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "It's quiet and it's a beautiful spot. I'm able to see the ocean from my house."

Hemsworth, an avid surfer, has also found moments of bliss out on the water. "You're still allowed to surf here. I paddled out the other day and it was just a really beautiful day and the surf was good and I was on my own," he recalls. "I'm just grateful to spend time here right now."

• For more about Hemsworth, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on stands Friday.

He's also been passing the time playing board games like Scrabble with Brooks. "I used to play with my grandma when I was a kid. She loved Scrabble," he says. "It made me nostalgic and brought back memories."

It also made him realize "that I'm terrible at spelling," Hemsworth adds, laughing. "I was cheating and Googling words."

Hemsworth and Brooks were first linked in December when the actor was photographed introducing the model to his parents.

They went public with their romance in January, when they were were seen exchanging a kiss during a beach day in Byron Bay, Australia.

Arkansas is now available on Apple, Amazon and On-Demand platforms and on Blu-ray and DVD.