The world is watching a Lower Hutt woman's online auction for the chance to tattoo her bottom.

Tina Beznec has been interviewed by media in Australia and contacted by a Los Angeles advertising agency about her Trade Me auction "YOUR Tattoo on my Bum!!".

As of 5pm, the auction had been viewed by 111,396 people, making it one of the most popular auctions of all time.

It had reached the reserve price of $10,000 before midday and bids continued to climb this afternoon.

"To be quite honest I am so happy with it as it is right now," Beznec said.

"The bidders at the moment all appear to be businesses or advertising agencies and I feel very confident that they aren't going to do anything racist, I don't care if it's a swear word or something like that."

However, if it is a bit distasteful she will go ahead with the tattoo.

"It has crossed my mind a bit and I guess if it does come down to it I will do it, I'm not going to pull out."

People were quick to criticise the 23-year-old for her unusual auction, which went live on Wednesday.

"Class. Some people just don't have it," one dompost.co.nz reader commented.

Others were supportive of her cause: "Good on you! Far better than moaning about your situation, getting on with it to find a solution. Don't listen to the negative feedback, they're probably just old and wrinkly with nothing better to do."

Beznec, who works for a freight company, will donate 20 per cent of the highest bid to a charity of the winner's choice and spend the rest on a trip to Australia to visit her mum and pay off a pile of bills.

She is strapped for cash after being made redundant twice in the past year and being unemployed for four months.

"The way I see it is it's going to be on my bum and it is something I can look back on in the future and remember this point in my life," she said.

Beznec, who was filmed for a recent Fire Service "don't drink and fry" television advertisement while partying in central Wellington, already has five tattoos.

The auctioned tattoo will be no bigger than 9cm by 9cm and the winner can watch it being done on January 21 - the day after the auction closes.

- © Fairfax NZ News