Passengers aboard a luxury train taking in stunning scenery as it crossed outback Australia were greeted to a sight they might not have found in any travel brochure.
As The Ghan neared Livingstone Airstrip on the outskirts of Darwin on Tuesday, a crowd of cheeky people formed alongside the tracks to partake in the Top End tradition of baring their backsides to those on board.
The mooning of The Ghan began as a joke on the trains inaugural journey in 2004, on which then-Prime Minister John Howard travelled as guest of honour, but it has grown into regular event with a 21 bum salute done this year for its 21st birthday.
While the crowd this year might not have been as big as the original event, where some 400 people turned up to give the PM and tourists the special Northern Territory welcome, those in attendance made up for it with enthusiasm.
Regulars and first-timers alike gathered from 3pm near the airstrip 50km outside Darwin, which has been unofficially dubbed Badlands Siding, to join in the party atmosphere before the train passed through a couple of hours later.
A poster advertising the event shared on the socials of nearby pub Noonamah Tavern invited attendees to either bare their bums or, for those a little shy, to bring along two pink balloons on a stick.
It is usually held every decade - in 2004, 2014 and 2024 - but Tuesday was the first time it has been done in consecutive years.
It was so much fun last year we thought bugger it lets have a 21st birthday, regular mooner Narelle, also known as Ralph, told Nine News.
Aussies have lined up to partake in the tradition of mooning iconic train The Ghan as it neared its destination of Darwin on Tuesday
The event marked 21 years since the trains first journey into the NT, at which hundreds of people gathered to moon those on board, including then-Prime Minister John Howard
First-time participant Nicole Howard said she brought out the Bridget Jones pants for the event.
Im too upper class to show my bum, she laughed.
She along with dozens of others displayed their derrieres as the train rumbled through about 5pm.
It was definitely a rush, Ive got a little tear in my eye, she said afterwards.
Shawn Bergquist said he found out about the tradition while he was a passenger on the train and returned this year to see it from the other side.
It was poking fun at the politicians that were on that train 21 years ago so thats a good reason to keep doing it, he said.
The Ghan was just this week named in Time Magazines 2025 Worlds Greatest Places to Stay list.
The 53-hour journey from spanning the 2,979km between Adelaide and Darwin crosses some of the most remote, rugged and picturesque landscapes on the planet.
Local radio station Hot100 sponsored the event, with one woman saying she opted for the Bridget Jones pants instead of baring her backside
The train journey was this week named on Time Magazines list of the best places to stay
Guests enjoy fine dining against the backdrop of Australias red centre on the three-day trip
Passengers see it all from luxuriously appointed sleeping cabins and dining cars, stopping along the way for experiences such as a formal dinner in the desert at sunset.
Its moniker is a shortened version of The Afghan Express which was its original title to honour the camel drivers who arrived in Australia during the late 19th century to assist explorers in traversing the countrys vast, dusty interior.
Formerly owned by the government it is these days is operated by tourism company Journey Beyond, which also runs two other iconic luxury train routes, the Indian Pacific and the Great Southern.
The company is owned by New York based equity firm Crestview Partners.
It will unveil two new suites next year, Australis and Aurora, which it said will include a next level of service including dedicated butlers, pillow menus and private bars along with in-room dining.