Hollywood can't miss Rosie

She's from rural Whangarei but Rosanna Arkle's humble roots have not stopped her gracing billboards on one of the world's most glamorous streets - Sunset Boulevard i n Los Angeles.

The 26-year-old, who lives on the Gold Coast, was over the moon to land five billboards there for Australian swimwear company Maneater.

"I did a photoshoot and we just thought it was going to be for the catalogue, and she [the owner] ended up buying a billboard ... or five," Miss Arkle said.

She was born in Australia but grew up in rural Matarau, until moving back when she was 19 years old.

She became best known for her role on the reality show The GC, a series which followed the lives of a group of young Kiwis living on Australia's Gold Coast.

However, she has since become a successful model and a social media icon.

Miss Arkle, known as Rosie, has 1.2 million likes on Facebook, 400,000 follows on Instagram and 16,000 followers on Twitter.

"I think it's been the main ingredient in building my brand," she said of her social media profile. "Without that, I don't think I would have all the work I have today."

"It's just a really good way to connect with people that follow you."

The only slight negative of the billboards, which will be up for three weeks, was her first name was spelt wrong - with just one "n". The creative director of Maneater said the billboards were done in collaboration with 138WATER and naturally they felt terrible about the mistake.

Her father Brady Arkle, who works for NZME. in Whangarei, said that despite the error the billboards were awesome.

Between himself and her mother, their daughter was raised in front of a camera, Mr Arkle said.

"We created a monster," he joked.

Mr Arkle said he was proud of how she had used tools like social media to further her career.

"She's always known her own mind," he said. "She doesn't suffer fools."

However, when the Northern Advocate asked Miss Arkle her key to success, her answer was a lot more simple: "I guess I just go with the flow and awesome opportunities happen."