Model makes waves on wild west coast

Emily DiDonato with her hair stylist, Jean- Luc Amarin, on the wild Piha coastline.

An American model in New Zealand to shoot an advertising campaign for a luxury European fashion house has documented her trip online - including a close call with the rugged Piha coastline.

Emily DiDonato, 22, was on location at a number of Auckland and Northland beaches shooting a marketing campaign understood to be for Giorgio Armani.

The New York model, who has worked for Victoria's Secret and dated Jake Gyllenhaal, shared her experiences of New Zealand with her 41,000 Twitter followers.

Produced by Goodoil Films, the shoot featured "rain forests with waterfalls, and on the iconic black sand beaches of the west coast", said producer Ben Scandrett-Smith.

A photographer at Piha Beach on Wednesday saw the crew filming and took a few shots of his own, including one that captured a gigantic wave crashing over rocks onto the crew.

"We were setting up a shot on the rocks at The Gap, when a large wave washed into the rocks nearby," said Mr Scandrett-Smith. "A few of our guys got a bit wet, but no one was injured and the equipment was properly protected against water."

DiDonato posted on the photo-sharing website Instagram images of the rugged coastline, sunsets and her with other crew members.

"That's a wrap!" she wrote. "So thankful for this incredible team in New Zealand."