Hundreds rock up to bare their bums at The Ghan to celebrate 21st year of the cheeky welcome
From veterans who attended the original mooning in 2004, to kids pulled from school early, Territorians were ready to bare their bum at the passengers of The Ghan to celebrate its 21st year. Watch the video and see the photos here.
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In most cases, turning your back on someone — especially when greeting them — would be seen as rude, among other things.
But that was far from the case for travellers of The Ghan on Tuesday evening, who were jocularly welcomed to the Top End by about 100 bare bums at the Livingstone Airstrip.
From veterans who attended the original mooning in 2004, to kids pulled from school early, to dogs, Territorians had no shame in baring their backsides at the surprised passengers of The Ghan
After starting as a small joke in 2004, the mooning of the Ghan, now in its 21st year of celebration, quickly turned into a full-fledged event, with hundreds gathering over the years for the annual welcome.
This year’s mooning went down at about 5.30pm when the train flew past, blaring its horn for the hundreds of trackside Territorians who had bared their bums high in the sky.
Shawn Bergquist, who has travelled on The Ghan in the past, said he was “very excited” to be attending his first mooning.
“One of my reasons is the political component; bums up to the politicians”, he said.
“I’m full jocks down, the whole lot.”
After moving to the Northern Territory about a year ago, first-time mooner Nicole Howard said it was a long time coming.
“I haven’t been to any but it’s been on my bucket list since I moved to Darwin last year”, she said.
“I just love what the NT does, all these crazy events.
“What else would you do on a Tuesday afternoon.
“I went to Vinnies about two hours ago and I said to the lady ‘I’m about to moon The Ghan’ and she was like ‘Oh, okay … five dollars thanks’.”
“But I’m an upper class bogan, so I’ll be keeping my undies on.”
Fellow-mooner and long-time Territorian Jim Leach, who was mooning The Ghan for his first time, said going bare was the right way to do it.
“Oh yeah, you’ve got to do it,” he said when asked if he would go full bare.
“I haven’t worn jocks for 30 or 40 years; you don’t wear jocks in this climate.”
FULL MOON
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