For one afternoon in May each year the Tennant Turf Club comes to life.
Horses create a dust storm and fashions are brought to the field as Barkly residents soak-in every minute of Two Cup Race Day.
Against the backdrop of the Honeymoon ranges, a sea of colour sparkles at the Tennant Turf Club.
For a town that is often bypassed for Alice Springs and Darwin, the sense of occasion is firmly appreciated by racegoers at one of Australia's most picturesque tracks.
President of the Tennant Creek Turf Club Mike Nash knows just how important the day is for locals. With the town of 3,000 only hosting one meet a year, the day is a chance for people to unwind and reach for the back of the wardrobe.
"It's very good for the townspeople, the station people and all that sort of business," said Mr Nash.
"The girls can get frocked up and put the proper cobber on … and the blokes for that matter."
Peppered around the Turf Club are the Irish and Northern Territory flags, which recognise the two cups providing the race day with its name: the Denis Staunton Memorial Cup and Tennant Creek Cup.
Denis Staunton's contribution to Tennant Creek racing is close to heart for Mr Nash.
"He was one of the founding fathers of the St Patty's Day cup, and he never got to see it run," he said.
"So they named a cup after him immemorial and we're still carrying on that tradition."
Bringing the community together
According to Lion's Creek President Kate Foran the Two Cup races are "a big annual event" for her team of volunteers.
After a busy evening and morning of setting up, the club is responsible for catering on the day and balancing out the bubbles.
"It really flies the flag for what we do in terms of community service … and [it's] a great way for the local community to see us in action," Ms Foran said.
"Often we're a little bit more behind the scenes, so this is a great high exposure activity for us."
"It's a great social occasion and good for the economy here … to bring people in and fill up all the motels and caravan parks," she said.
International ties
Tennant Creek has long been recognised for having a strong international community, with the town's once-thriving mining industry a drawcard for migrants.
For residents, race day has become a welcome opportunity to showcase their cultural heritage.
In February, Sam Lenarongoito moved from Melbourne to Tennant Creek with his wife and three children. Heading to the races provided the new resident with an opportunity to showcase his Kenyan heritage at his first race meet.
"I come from the Samburu tribe and this is a kind of dress up for the warriors: The young men when they are ready to go for dances or looking after the community," he said.
"It is very important just being a part of the community and seeing people happy and smiling.
"It's just the beauty and happiness in people's faces."
Coming together from across the Barkly
Covering almost the middle third of the Northern Territory, life for Barkly station workers can be an isolating experience. For many of these Barkly residents, making the trip to the turf club means shrinking the map for the day.
Kelli McLaughlin works at the Tennant Creek station and relished the occasion to share an afternoon with her family and fellow station workers.
"We obviously don't get to socialise a great deal," she said.
"So it's a social event to bring us all together … bring in the other stations as well as the locals."
Ms McLaughlin also loved the rare occasion to dress up and embrace her love of fashion, mixing a white dress that she described as a "cheap buy from in town" and a dazzling fascinator that she had organised from Mt Isa.
A sense of home
Mick Tyrell has lived in many different parts of Australia.
"I've been moving around quite a bit, stayed in Perth for a bit … to play footy and whatnot," he said.
"I've been all over the place … but it's home."
