Paris Hilton appears onstage at Arby's Action Sports Awards at Center Stage in Burbank, California in November 30.

A scantily-clad Paris Hilton has caused a stir on Australia's most famous beach, hours after the hotel heiress arrived Down Under to see in the New Year as a beer company's guest of honour.

Australian advertising guru John Singleton has flown the American socialite to Sydney to select the face of a new beer, the Bondi Blonde.

Early Thursday, the celebrity bad-girl bustled through assembled media at Sydney airport wearing a striped singlet top and huge white sunglasses, her trademark fashion accessory.

"Hey Australia," the starlet said, accompanied by minders. "I'm really excited to be here in Sydney for New Year's."

The international celebrity, who starred in the reality television show "The Simple Life", is tasked with choosing a bikini babe to promote the Australian beverage at 1pm (0200GMT) on January 1, 2007.

But while Singleton's son Jack and professional surfer Koby Abberton whittled down a throng of hopefuls to 40 finalists at Sydney's Hilton Hotel, the singer showed beach-going fans how it was done.

After testing the waters in a skimpy two-piece at Sydney's Bondi Beach, camera phones snapped into action as a crowd gathered to watch Hilton rinsing off under the beachside showers.

Undeterred by the attention, she seemed optimistic when asked what the new year might hold for her.

"Um. Quite a lot," predicted the celebrity who was only last week voted voted the number 1 Google search for 2006.