The year 2015 has been a time of change for New Zealand, as it has spent most of the time whittling down potential candidates for a new national flag.
Initial designs -- which were sourced from public submissions -- included a Nyan Cat-style kiwi complete with rainbow-fart stream, an inspiring MS Paint drawing of a sheep next to a hokey-pokey flavoured ice-cream (a national delicacy), and retro video-game Space Invaders inserted into the current flag amidst the Southern Cross.
Preliminary results for the alternative flag, which will be pitted against the existing one in a referendum next year, are now in. The design of a white fern with a black and blue background against a red Southern Cross has been selected and the final vote count will be declared on Tuesday, Dec. 15.