With one hand on a hip, an evening dress swishing over their legs, and a sash across their chests declaring the village they represent, 10 women parade across a stage in Port Moresby in front of four judges and a clapping crowd.
The 10 competitors then line up, ready to answer questions for the audience.
However, there will be no mention of "world peace" in their responses.
"What are the three most popular names for Motuan lakatois?" comes the first question.
Lakatois are a traditional sailing ship of the Motuan people, some of the original owners of the land on which Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby is built.
While these young women may look like beauty queens, this is no ordinary pageant. They're being judged on cultural knowledge and presentation, not on their looks.
"The three most popular names for the lakatois are Boge Bada, Kevau Bada and Oala Bada. Thank you," a contestant confidently answers to applause from the crowd.
The contender they are cheering is Miss Hanuabada, Andrea Nikki Taraka.
The 21-year-old is representing the biggest and best-known of the local villages.
Hanuabada is perched on the shore, and over the water, of the capital's main harbour.
Its houses spill out into the ocean, perched on stilts, a traditional style that survives as skyscrapers go up around it.
"I come from a clan of Hiri Queens," Ms Taraka explains.
"This quest, Hiri Hanenamo, is something that I wake up to every day, because I come from the tribe that my family, my mothers, my aunties were once queen.
"So, I'm proud to be in this quest."
Evening gowns replaced by grass skirts
Each of the young women represents a traditional village, and they're competing to be named queen as part of the annual Hiri Moale Festival, a celebration of the history and culture of the Motu Koitabu people.
The contestants and organisers say the pageant is a modern way to keep culture alive.
"This is my rightful cultural inheritance, passed down from my ancestors," Miss Taraka says.
"It is very important to keep our culture because it is worth keeping. It… tells [us] who we are."
The next day, the evening dresses are replaced with grass skirts and bare feet as the contestants gather on the beach to help re-enact the arrival of a lakatoi.
For weeks, villagers have been building one of the traditional boats to sail into the harbour, a reminder of the months-long trading voyages that their ancestors would make.
The lakatoi is welcomed ashore by singing and dancing.
While the arrival of the lakatoi is impressive, the crowning of the Hiri Queen is the highlight of the festival.
In the weeks leading up to the final judging, the young women must not only learn and practise cultural knowledge but also attend meet-and-greets with sponsors as well as side events, including at Government House.
"There has to be always balance. We don't want to just allow them to focus on the culture and neglect the professional aspect of life," this year's pageant organiser Molly O'Rourke said.
"We need them to learn and appreciate the culture because culture is who we are, but there has to be a way that you can also be a professional person having that cultural knowledge in you."
Tattoos and family
On the morning of the final day of judging, the contestants and their supporters are set up in rooms of a local hotel to prepare.
Ms Taraka is sitting on the ground of her suite with her legs outstretched while an old lady draws tattoos on her body.
"She is not just an ordinary lady, she's my great-grandmother," Ms Taraka explains.
"My grandmother's mother. And having her still rocking it like a young girl — I am very thankful for her."
The group all laugh at the reference to this stately woman "rocking it like a young girl".
So the old lady gives a wry smile while continuing with her work.
"She's the same woman who made my aunties and sisters to be queens, and so I'm in this journey to be one of the queens again. To be her queen again."
One of Andrea's aunties, a former Hiri Queen, video calls in from her new home in San Francisco to wish Andrea luck.
"Take all the knowledge, as much as possible, because it's very important, our culture, the identity, shouldn't be lost, shouldn't be dying," she implores with a slight American twang.
"Enjoy it, embrace it and all the best."
The tattoos are being drawn on with a thick black texta.
The traditional application method was a lot more painful and long-lasting.
Those tattoos were applied using a heated thorn, and a charcoal and water mixture would be hit into the skin.
All of the tattoo designs have industry history and meaning, and many are reserved for young women.
In an adjacent room, Miss Manumanu Nana Pake is also being assisted by family members who were once competitors.
The difficult balance of modern and traditional, of walking in two worlds, is evident here.
Miss Pake's aunty, who competed in 1989, worries that some traditions are being lost amid attempts to modernise and expand the quest to include other events, such as the runway show and sponsors night.
"Before, everything was traditional. Not now. Things have changed, been modernised," she explained.
"So, I see that the culture is fading away. It's not like before."
Not all the 10 competitors have family legacies.
Miss Boera Madaha Kevau said she was excited to be the first in her family to contest for the crown.
Drawing tattoos on her is Bonnie Naua, a former queen from Boera village who now runs her own business using tattoos as designs on dresses.
"She is one of my role models. She is one of the Hiri Queens in the year 1992," Miss Kevau explained.
"But she is also an entrepreneur."
The final judging
Final judging is taking place in a stadium in the middle of the city.
The crowd is smaller than usual — thanks to COVID-19 — but, nevertheless, enthusiastic.
Chairman of the Motu Koita Assembly, Dadi Toka Jr, gives a speech welcoming everyone and ends by quoting the country's longest-serving female MP, the now-retired Dame Carol Kidu.
"She says our country stands on two legs — one leg is the old ways, which is our culture and our traditions, the other leg is the ways of those from outside, the things that have come to us from more recent times," he said.
For the final event, each contestant takes it in turns to go onto the stage, in traditional dress, and re-enact seeing the lakatoi ship returning from a months-long voyage and alerting the rest of the village.
They put their hands above their eyes, pretending to peer out to the skyline.
Then they call out in the Motu language — some slap branches on the ground, and they all then perform the epitomical, hip-swinging dance in their grass skirts.
After each has taken their turn, all the contestants return to the stage and await the announcement of the decision.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the moment we have all been waiting for, the 2021 Miss Hiri Hanenamo goes to — Pari Hanenamo, Raila English!"
Miss English cries as a new sash is put over her shoulder, and a crown is placed on her head.
"To be honest, this is unexpected," she tells the audience.
The 21-year-old from Pari Village then turns to the other contestants behind her.
"Thank you to all my nine sisters — amazing sisters — since this event started, we have built a bond that brought us together."
Miss English then dances and does her traditional calls again, to the delight of the crowd.
As she descends the stage, the tattoos on her face have been smeared by her tears, but she is elated.
"We know it is a modern world, but maintaining our culture through these activities and events, is very important," she said.
Watch this 7.30 story on ABC iview.
