People like to say there's no such thing as a silly question, but the ridicule one tourist attracted online when they asked for advice on driving from Sydney to New Zealand certainly suggests otherwise.
Ask a stupid question, it seems, and you can fairly expect either a stupid answer or to be mocked mercilessly.
This can pose a bit of a problem for travellers (and journalists) who are expected to be curious and ask questions.
But in the interests of not making a complete ass out of yourself, it sometimes pays to think for a second or few or do a bit of research before opening your trap - or posting a question on a popular travel site.
Here are a few silly, stupid and just plain odd questions New Zealanders have been asked about Aotearoa.
What time will it snow in Christchurch?
ChristchurchNZ spokesperson Joy Sajamark says some of the sillier questions the tourism board has received include "What time is it going to snow in Christchurch?" and "Do I need to say anything to get the glowworms to glow?"
Other visitors have wanted to double-check whether Arthur's Pass is near Antarctica and whether the bus from Tekapo to Aoraki/Mt Cook will take them to the top of New Zealand's highest peak.
Venture Southland spokesperson Emma Hunter said the Invercargill i-SITE team have received some interesting questions.
"What street do the penguins walk on?", "What time will the sea lion be on the beach?" and "Is this the office in the park? I'm a bit worried and need to report that there is a bird in the aviary" are among them.
Londoner-turned-Aucklander Ian Benet says he has been asked whether he ever goes back to London for a weekend visit.
Other pearlers have included "How come there aren't more castles in New Zealand?" and "Is there anywhere in New Zealand like Ibiza?" Mt Maunganui on New Year's Eve might come close if you've had enough to drink but Aotearoa is hardly world-renowned for its 24-hour party towns.
Thinking we're still living in the Dark Ages
Sol Cooper, a Kiwi living in England's Rochester, says a colleague once asked "Do you guys still live in those hut things?"
"Not any more. We've since found clothing too," Cooper replied.
Similarly, Kirsten Cartwright says a UK colleague asked her when entering a bar whether there is anything similar in New Zealand.
When she replied "What? Like a bar?", his response was "I thought it was all mud huts and stuff".
It seems there are plenty of people out there who think we're a bit behind the times.
Tegan Lewis, a New Zealander living in London, says travellers at a hostel in Portugal were surprised to hear she'd seen the show MTV Cribs.
One response: "I'm just so surprised you know, seeing as you're from New Zealand. Did you see it over here?"
When Lewis said she'd seen it back home, the person replied "Oh! We weren't sure you guys even had TV there and you get MTV? In New Zealand? That's so crazy!"
Michaela Andrews, meanwhile, has been asked "Do you have appliances over there or do you still cook underground?"
You can drive to NZ from the US right?
Catty Marnane, a New Zealander living in Ireland, says she has been asked how long it takes to drive from the US to New Zealand - as well as whether her home country has education and supermarkets.
Visiting New York, Lewis says an American asked her where she was from and, when she said New Zealand, was met with "New Zealand, right. Where's that again?"
Replying that it's in the South Pacific near Australia, she was initially met with a blank stare and then "So you've got Melbourne Australia, Sydney Australia, New Zealand Australia - cool! So do you do a lot of surfing, a bit of kangaroo boxing?".
"It took everything in me not to throw him of the Empire State Building," Lewis jokes (at least I hope she was joking).
Travelling in Italy, she encountered a group of elderly Americans looking at a weather map. When one asked where New Zealand was, another replied "Don't be stupid, it's right there", pointing at Italy, the country they were in. It has been a bit of a trick question though: As is so often the case, New Zealand was missing from the map.
You're from NZ? I love Australia!
There are a lot of people out there, it seems, who think New Zealand is part of Australia.
Kiwi backpacker Leigh Alderson says she has been asked in all seriousness if New Zealanders can walk to Australia at low tide.
Bronwyn Toth says a customer at the London pub she once worked at was convinced there was a bridge between Wellington and Brisbane that took about two hours to drive across.
Meanwhile, Lyn Averis saw a father at the Captain Cook Museum in England's Whitby point to a picture of the Auckland harbour bridge and tell his young sons "that will be the bridge that joins the two islands together".
Robbie Smith took the 'ask a silly question' approach when a woman asked him how long the trip across the bridge between New Zealand and Australia would take.
"I responded with "Only six hours but there's no gas stations along the way so be sure to fuel up". She said she would be sure to tell her friends visiting and wished me a good day."
When Chany Cullen once told someone she was from New Zealand, she was met with "I love Australia!"
Dawn Shadwell, a Kiwi living in London, says she was one told: "I know where [New Zealand] is! It's that little island at the bottom of Australia". New Zealand Tasmania? Quelle horreur!
But you speak English so well!
Like many Kiwi travellers, Shadwell has been asked whether New Zealanders speak English. Replying that they do, she was once met with "But you don't speak with an English accent."
It seems a fair number of people are confused about New Zealand's official languages.
Adam Norwich was told while living in Canada that his English pronunciation was really good, while Aucklander Grace Aitken was told: "Wow, you're from New Zealand? But your English is so good!"
At least one American thinks New Zealanders are from the future - Georgia Cattley was asked in America what month it was in New Zealand at the time.
Where's Old Zealand?
And then there are questions that are, well, just a little odd.
Kayla McPherson-Spring says she was asked in America whether "we ride stationary bikes to generate all our power. Of course I pretended we do." The people behind the 100 per cent pure New Zealand campaign may well have been proud.
Anthony Pinkerton was asked "where's Old Zealand", while Rachael Robison, who lives in British Columbia, Canada, was asked whether we celebrate Christmas in December in New Zealand given it's not winter.
Ashton Young, a Kiwi in London meanwhile, was asked whether we keep hobbits in the zoo in New Zealand or if they're allowed to run wild.
Have you been asked any silly questions about New Zealand? Share them in the comments.