To those who have never had the good fortune to meet a Kiwi or visit our fair isles, New Zealand can seem like a fairly mysterious - even fantastical - place. Others just reckon it must be boring as hell to be "trapped" in a tiny island nation at the bottom of the world.
Question and answer website Quora contains a seemingly never-ending list of questions about the Land of the Long White Cloud and what it's really like to live here, some of which are fair questions indeed. Others, however, are kind of weird if not downright bizarre.
Here are a few of our favourites in the latter category, along with the often amusing responses.
Q: Do New Zealanders feel trapped?
Rose Brown seemed less than amused by the question, noting: "We have aeroplanes too. And the internet. And I'm not wearing a grass skirt on the way back to my hut."
Many took the question more seriously, explaining that most Kiwis are here voluntarily, have plenty to keep them occupied and are big travellers, even if flights are relatively long and expensive.
Some did admit to feeling at least a little restricted in Aotearoa though. Aucklander Robert Michael said he feels "a little bit trapped" as a result of New Zealand's remoteness and what he feels is a lack of culture.
"It really does seem like a small village at times, and is sometimes missing an exciting feel to the place..."
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Xiaoyu Huang of China said that while "the nature in New Zealand is wonderful", the meat and fruit "very tasty" and the people "generally friendly", she got "really bored" during her 15 months here.
"There was not much to do after work. I'd go hiking on weekends or join my local friends on a hunting/fishing trip, but what else? Unless you live in bigger cities like Auckland, life is not very convenient or exciting."
She found it "extremely difficult" to find the books she wanted at the local library, felt that "small towns all look pretty much the same" and said there were "no art or music shows whatsoever. The conversations were always limited to several topics [and the] weather forecast was more informative than the local news."
Retiree Robert Side of Tokoroa said having to let the government know if he plans to leave the country for six months or more for fear of losing his pension makes him feel somewhat trapped. As does having to drive for an hour or more to enjoy anything much more than tramping, duck shooting or pig or deer hunting. Not that he minds all that much. His concluding thoughts: "Trapped? Yes. Would I be anywhere else? Never!"
Kevin Were had words of encouragement for those who feel stuck here, saying: "For all those suffering New Zealanders who have described their grave situation in lurid detail, I have good news. It it possible to get out. I know because… I was born in New Zealand and was able to flee to Australia."
Q: Why do some New Zealanders walk on the street without wearing shoes?
Childhoods spent running over concrete and grass full of prickles have made Kiwis so thick-skinned on the souls of their feet it's almost a superpower. So perhaps it's no surprise that those from elsewhere find our habit of baring our soles in the streets and supermarkets a little odd.
Frans du Plessis from Auckland received more than 24,000 upvotes for his answer which began with the rhetorical question: "Why wear shoes if it is not necessary, especially when it is hot and more comfortable to go barefoot?
"When I go to the dairy... I know I am going to park on concrete and walk into the dairy without hurting my feet. Most Kiwis couldn't care less if you don't wear shoes."
Du Plessis attributed Kiwis' love of going barefoot to New Zealand casual culture, Māori heritage, warm summer weather, streets generally devoid of dog poo, parasites, "venomous critters" and needles - and "hobbit genes".
"We either have some hidden hobbit genes, or maybe those of us who go barefoot a lot, just develop thick soles."
Nihan Kucukural, a Turk living in Waikanae, said that, unlike many other nationalities, Kiwis are not "brainwashed" into believing that humans must wear shoes at all times.
"[Kiwis] are natural people… In Turkey, we associate being barefoot with poverty. In New Zealand they associate it with freedom."
Others noted that going barefoot is not as common as it used to be and would be considered odd in certain areas and situations. Du Plessis reckons some Kiwis get away with going shoeless in the office, however.
"For example, a lawyer could work barefoot and only slip on shoes when they see a client, but even if they don't, it would not necessarily raise eyebrows."
Q: In what ways are Australia and New Zealand backward compared to other Western countries?
A: Backward? New Zealand? The cheek! Stefanija Jankovic took it in her stride though, alerting the poser of the question to Aotearoa's free dental treatment for kids and the ACC system - in sarcastic Kiwi style of course.
"One of the things that bothered me the most about New Zealand was the fact that, if you're in an accident, all your medical expenses are taken care of - even if you're not a citizen or a resident…. Thankfully, if you're above 17, you have to pay for your own dental work. They had to get something right."
Jankovic also referenced Jacinda Ardern, saying: "It's bizarre enough having women Prime Ministers. But someone who was pregnant in office and then went on to have a kid? The worst bit is that nobody seemed to mind."
Aussie Marcus Anthony jumped to both Australia and New Zealand's defence, saying both are "only a little backward".
"We have lots of modern stuff like farms, sheep and a few cities. We got the modcons like running water and electricity. We got trains, too. They don't travel under the ground. Some of them work."
Kiwis' love of "sheep, rugby and bashing Australia" may make them seem a little backward, he suggested, as might their inability to sound out vowels.
"Other than that they are OK… I wish I could tell you more about the Kiwis. I went to NZ once. Unfortunately, it was closed."
Q: What are NZ's contributions to the world in addition to lamb?
A: This question may come as a bit of a surprise to those of us who had thought the likes of Taika Waititi, Peter Jackson, Jane Campion, Flight of the Conchords, and the flat white have made New Zealand super famous on the world stage.
But it seems some people still associate Aotearoa with one thing: packs of New Zealand lamb on supermarket shelves. Brian Connelly received the most upvotes for his answer which said New Zealand has made "a few" contributions to the world in addition to the lamb. "Remember though, there are not many of us."
Among his inclusions: the LOTR movies, pavlova and Phar Lap ("ask the Aussies about these two"), Russell Crowe ("sorry"), Lorde, the electric fence and Mike Tyson's tattoo. Oh, and discovering how to split the atom (thanks Ernest Rutherford).
Others pointed to New Zealand's many exports - chiefly dairy, eggs and honey - while Dean Riddell added "Fleetwood Mac's newest member Neil Finn" to the mix along with the number eight wire mentality. Or as he puts it, the fine art of "giving justification to doing things shoddy and on the cheap".
Q: How do New Zealanders like being called Kiwis?
A: The poser of this question seems to be concerned that likening New Zealanders to a small, long-beaked, relatively defenceless bird or fuzzy-skinned fruit may be offensive.
Marshall Gass of Auckland said he is "fine with being called a Kiwi (especially of the brown type!).
"As an immigrant who found his feet in a new land I came in flightless, sightless, brainless and birdlike! That's ok. Over time, I grew to like being unique, flightless, sightless, brainless and birdlike. The competition was fierce… I feel better off being called a Kiwi than a roo or emu or rattlesnake. Those things are hoppy, rubbery and slithery."
Micheal Morris spoke for many when he noted that unlike some slang terms for different nationalities, "Kiwi" is not derogatory.
"We are fine with it. An American I knew once called me one in anger, and I stared back at her blankly. Later I realised she probably thought she was calling me a fruit."
