The government of New Zealand has narrowed the choices for a possible new national flag to four candidates, but many are calling the designs "disappointing."

Here are the official images showing the final four flag referendum choices in flight: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nzflag?src=hash">#nzflag</a> <a href="http://t.co/2MOasBbia2">pic.twitter.com/2MOasBbia2</a> —@lukeappleby

From over 10,000 submitted designs, the government's Flag Consideration Panel narrowed the candidates to 40 in August, and now to these four.

But New Zealanders on Twitter are calling the designs "awful," "sad" and "mediocre."

Has this entire process just been one long elaborate practical joke? That's the only way to explain the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZflag?src=hash">#NZflag</a> shortlist. Utterly awful —@1FightingIrish

Wow. What a sad and disappointing outcome. The best result I can see now is keeping the status quo. Such a lost opportunity. 😥💩 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nzflag?src=hash">#nzflag</a> —@rowansimpson

How NZ twitter probably felt when checking their timelines this morning <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nzflag?src=hash">#nzflag</a> <a href="http://t.co/Bd4kNlg6jy">pic.twitter.com/Bd4kNlg6jy</a> —@Johnsomich

Putting photoshop's generate flame to good use <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nzflag?src=hash">#nzflag</a> <a href="http://t.co/kmyrOoIw50">pic.twitter.com/kmyrOoIw50</a> —@bwjwright

New Zealanders will rank these designs in a vote in late 2015. In March 2016, there will be a final vote between the preferred design from that vote and the current flag.

Three of the four designs use the silver fern frond that is the symbol of New Zealand sports teams, particularly rugby's All Blacks. The fourth uses the the coiled "fiddlehead" of the same plant, an indigenous symbol called "koru" in the Maori language.

Could be wrong - no expert - but surely a sports team's insignia should be based on a flag - not the other way round. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nzflag?src=hash">#nzflag</a> —@PCLittle

We should have just gone with "We love the All Blacks" in comic sans with a smiley face emoji <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZFlag?src=hash">#NZFlag</a> —@AlessandraRach

<a href="https://twitter.com/AlessandraRach">@AlessandraRach</a> At this point, I'd take it. <a href="http://t.co/8MqmX1s8xr">pic.twitter.com/8MqmX1s8xr</a> —@aaronwatermelon

While some didn't like the idea of a flag that resembles a sports logo, others objected on botanical grounds.

Thing that bugs me most about this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nzflag?src=hash">#nzflag</a> is that the fern fronds should alternate, not be opposite one-another. <a href="http://t.co/RbjsaEmCTr">pic.twitter.com/RbjsaEmCTr</a> —@kimi_collins

The current flag of New Zealand is a blue ensign, featuring the British Union Flag in one corner and four red stars forming the Southern Cross.

Some in New Zealand consider it to be a relic from the country's colonial past and too similar to Australia's flag. Others, including many combat veterans, feel a deep attachment to it.

I like this one. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZflag?src=hash">#NZflag</a> <a href="http://t.co/oH66EHDrOl">pic.twitter.com/oH66EHDrOl</a> —@SirWB

Those who want to keep the current flag will be feeling more relaxed now after the release of the mediocre top 4. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nzflag?src=hash">#nzflag</a> —@lornaajohnson

The country's flag debate is reminiscent of the contentious process that led Canada to replace its red ensign with the Maple Leaf flag in 1965.

If the final four candidates weren't enough to offend New Zealanders' design sensibilities, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand unveiled its new bank notes, too.