When making the brave leap and going under the needle for your first tattoo, most first-timers will have thought long and hard about what design they're getting.

But a bunch of schoolies who embarked on the Gold Coast last week have spontaneously chosen one of Australia's most despised creatures for their debut inking - the ibis.

"We've done about 10 [ibises] during schoolies I reckon, " Luke Braniff, a tattoo artist at Surfers Paradise's Crossfire Tattoos, told Yahoo7.

View photos One ibis design depicts the bird gulping down a slice of pizza. Source: Facebook/ Crossfire Tattoos More

The tattoo parlour introduced a set of ibis designs, ranging from one smoking to another inside a bin, just in time for the celebrations.

"They love it, they think its great," Braniff said.

"The schoolies have some fun before they become serious adults and the tattoos are normally something funny they’ll remember the week by."

The store runs a 'lucky dip' style offer where punters pay $100 before pulling a random tattoo from a gum ball machine.

View photos Schoolies have embraced the 'bin chicken' designs. Source: Facebook/ Crossfire Tattoos More

View photos The different tattoos available in the 'lucky dip'. Source: Facebook/ Crossfire Tattoos More

As well as the bin chicken designs, there are a number of more reserved designs such as a sombrero-wearing avocado or a slice of pizza.

Braniff reckons they've got through several hundred tattoos over the course of the celebrations and believes this year's schoolies are more reserved than previous years.

"The kids are a little bit smarter this year, most popular are palm trees and waves but we have seen a few more daring ones," he said.

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