Central Coast, NSW Australia: Central Coast Tourism is encouraging visitors and locals to frame their family and friends in the monthly People & Places Instagram Competition featured in the 2015 Official Visitors Guide (p6) – now available.

'People & Places Instagram Competition is about exposing fun experiences on the Central Coast – after all 'Fun Starts Here!' quips Central Coast Tourism's Chief Executive Officer, Robyne Abernethy.

'Fun means something different to everyone' continued Abernethy. 'Each month a new competition theme will be introduced encouraging people to take a 'selfie' or 'usie' (a group selfie) framing their angle on fun.'

The first theme is all about animals. Load your favourite animal happy snap, taken on the Central Coast NSW Australia, to your Instagram account and tag it with #OurAnimalsCentralCoast to be in the running to win 1 x Annual Family Pass to the Australian Reptile Park valued at $240 for a family of two adults and two children. Full terms and conditions of the competition are detailed at www.visitcentralcoast.com.au/competitions. Keep a watch on the Competition Pages to obtain each month's themed #hashtag.

For tips on where to find animals on the Central Coast, grab (or order) a copy of the new 2015 Official Visitors Guide and discover:

• the locations of our two wildlife parks (p 27)
• walking trails through State Forests that allow access to dogs (p 22)
• the Seven National Parks that are home to local fauna including koalas, wallabies and platypus (just to name a few) (p24)
• marine life at the local dive spots including the Ex-HMAS Adelaide Reserve (p 16)
• the Whale Trail Vantage Points (p 18)

Printed copies of the guide are available to pick up from one of the three Visitor Information Centres:

• Gateway Visitor Information Centre, 52 The Avenue, Kariong
• Gosford Visitor Information Centre, 200 Mann Street, Gosford
• The Entrance Visitor Information Centre, Memorial Park, The Entrance

or by request via info@centralcoasttourism.com.au or by calling 02 4343 4444.

Note to Editors:

Central Coast Tourism Inc. is non-profit and financially supported from its own industry base (through a membership structure), by Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils and also Destination NSW. It's role is to develop, market and promote the region as a significant tourist destination in the domestic and international markets, to achieve increased visitation/expenditure, and to provide customer service to visitors and to its members.

The tourism industry plays an influential role in shaping the Central Coast's economy, with visitor expenditure exceeding $824* million annually. As the tourism industry continues to grow, Central Coast Tourism helps Gosford City and Wyong Shire prosper through its destination marketing efforts.

*Source: DNSW Regional Snapshot YE December 2013