Melbourne Cup 2017: The aftermath | photos

Human limbs flew everywhere as those who overindulged staggered out of Australia's biggest racing event on Tuesday.

One racegoer, the knees of his beige suit covered in grass stains, was on all fours while his friend jumped on his back and mounted him like he was riding a racehorse.

His cries of elation drew curious looks and laughter from the crowd pouring out of the Flemington racecourse.

There really is nothing like the drunken debauchery of the Melbourne Cup public lawn, but all good things must to come an end.

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This year was no different and the public lawn at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day was strewn with the debris of a mammoth party attended by more than 90,000 racegoers.

Nobody likes the clean-up after a huge party, but Craig Lovett and his brother Paul relish in it.

For 32 years, they've stood amongst the chaos and carnage and spearheaded clean-ups for some of the world's biggest sporting events.

Their company Incognitusis has led the clean-up campaign for the Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne.

Between them they've managed the clean-ups at Formula One Grand Prix races around the globe and the last seven Olympic and Commonwealth Games but there is none bigger than Derby or Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.

"It's a great team effort of recovery let me tell you," he said. "It's always a magnificent challenge."

On Derby Day, he estimates his team of 600 staff worked around the clock for 24 hours to clear 250 tonnes of rubbish and on Cup Day it's about 150 tonnes.

The bulk of the rubbish, he said, is bottles, cans and beer cups, of which about 90 per cent is recyclable.

That's not including, however, another 100 tonnes of liquid waste which is collected largely from the portaloos.

"We won't get to deep into that genre, but let's just say there is another 100 tonnes of that, and it's a big job," he said.

And no matter how many years they've been doing it, it never gets dull.

One time, the cleaners found a neatly folded men's suit, complete with a tie and a pair of leather shoes, left behind in marquee.

"Sometime you just have to wonder how people got home?" Mr Lovett mused. "It as if he'd taken it off and neatly placed it on the floor."

Entire women's outfits, including fascinators, shoes, dresses, bras and underwear have been found hidden in toilets.

Another year, hidden in the depths of the trash, Mr Lovett said a cleaner found a bookies bag with $47,000 inside.

"You just never know what you're going to get, that's the beauty of it," he said.

And for some, the party is just beginning.

As the last of the revellers leave the grass, hundreds of seagulls descend from the grey sky heading straight to the lawn to swoop on the leftovers.

Eric Bashtannyk has been cleaning the Flemington Racetrack after each spring carnival for 32 years.

He said he and his team have cleared up more than 5000 camping chairs this year.

"People just leave them behind as soon as the last race," he said.

Unlike other years, when Derby is typically the most rowdy race day, Mr Bashtannyk said he'd spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning vomit.

"I call them protein spills," he said. "And I've never seen them as bad as I have in the women's toilet this year."

For backpackers Jessica Langelaan, Mila Kloos and Ryan Ball the Melbourne Cup lived up to all the hype.

"The atmosphere is like nothing else I've ever experienced," said Ms Langelaan, who is visiting Australia from Holland said.

"Everybody here was having a good time and having a laugh but I think there will be a few sore heads tomorrow."

While the trio didn't back a winner, they did take some trusty advice from some Australian friends and packed pairs of thongs in their bag for the end of the day trek home.

"We're glad we did, I felt like my feet were going to drop off," Ms Langelaan said.