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2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 Sighting Reports

Sighting Report Form

Advice on what to do if you have a UFO or UAP sighting

Identified Sightings

Selection of Historic Sighting Reports

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UFOCUS NZ Research Articles

NZ Historic Sightings Articles

2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 Sighting Reports

UFOCUS NZ has an archive of New Zealand historic sighting reports.

We receive many sightings that are classified simply as NL's (nocturnal lights), however we only post sightings with unusual factors on the website.

We have divided our reports and findings into two sections: those that remain unidientified to date, and those that we have determined to have a clear, logical, or scientific explanation.

All sighting reports are copyright to UFOCUS NZ (unless otherwise stated), and cannot be reproduced without our permission.

View Recent Unidentified Sightings - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008

ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO
IF YOU HAVE A UFO OR UAP SIGHTING

UFO = unidentified flying object
UAP = unidentified aerial phenomenon

During the Sighting or Event:

1. Stop what you are doing and observe.
2. If possible, note the exact start time of the sighting or event.
3. If others are present or nearby, have them confirm what you are observing.
4. If nobody else is present, and if a phone or cell-phone is directly handy, call someone nearby or in the area to confirm /witness what you are observing.
5. Keep watching the UFO/UAP.  Try not to move from the spot you are observing from unless you have to in order to keep the UFO/UAP in sight.  This will help you to more accurately determine the extent of the UFO/UAP’s movements if you are still.
6. Note any terrestrial objects in the field of view, or any activity that can help determine compass directions, direction of movement, distance and size of the UFO/UAP (eg. landmarks, houses, groups of trees).
7. A rough size of the object/light can be estimated by holding a thumb out at arms length to use as a measure.  Turn your hand horizontally at arms length and count the number of fingers required as a measure of elevation of the object from the horizon.  This indication is useful to the investigator to ascertain approximate degrees for mathematical equations m4easuring height and elevation.
8. If appropriate/possible use a camera/video/cell-phone to photograph the event.
9. DO NOT use ‘zoom’, as this will distort the footage, and will likely exclude important landmarks or geographical features relevant to the movements/event.
10. Stabilize the camera for better quality footage.
11.  Try to include terrestrial objects in the frame/video (eg. telegraph poles, corner of a roof, landmarks, trees etc as this helps us to ascertain height, position etc).
12. Avoid looking directly at artificial lights that may distort your vision (street lights, car lights, moon)
13. Note any distinct sounds, smells, or other phenomena that may be directly associated with the event (eg. car stalling, power failure, unusual animal behaviour).
14. If the event takes more than a few minutes, try to record any particularly significant observations on paper, or make a mental note.
15. Note the end time of the event and date.

Following the Sighting or Event:

1. Write down as many details of what you observed, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after the event, while it is still fresh and accurate in your mind.
2. This includes making any appropriate sketches, maps, drawings of objects, figures, etc.  You don’t need to be a great artist! – its all helpful.
3. Record the names and contact details of any other witnesses if possible, and encourage them to submit a Sighting Report Form to us also.
4. Do not delete any photos from a digital camera memory card, in case it is needed for analysis.  Photo negatives are required for analysis.
5. Complete UFOCUS NZ's Sighting Report Form, and email it to us with drawings etc, on attachment to: ufocusnz@xtra.co.nz,  or post completed form and accompanying drawings etc to: UFOCUS NZ, PO Box 624, Tauranga.

A Note on Interpretation of Sightings

1. We do not necessarily believe that every report received is accurate and true.
2. We try to filter out hoaxes, and fabrications usually quickly become obvious with a little intelligent and scientific scrutiny.
3. We will display possible hoaxes on our website as an educational exercise for the public.
4. In some cases the data received may be incomplete, and the credibility of the witnesses unknown.
5. We strive to present reports as received, and perform a comprehensive analysis given the data provided.
6. Analysis may include examination of footage etc by photographic experts.
7. We use a range of scientific and professional services in the analysis of a sighting or event.

Identified Sightings

Many UFO sighting reports and photographs have logical explanations. Numerous objects, aerial phenomena, and space or weather aspects can be mistaken as UFO's and upon investigation, have an earthly explanation.

A few examples are: kites, microlites, helicopters or planes, meteorites, Venus, lenticular clouds, 'blimps', lens flares, bugs/beetles/birds, distant elevated structures, spotlights.

Listed below are some of the more recent reports we have received that we have 'identified'. We are sure you will find them informative! Although these sightings have been identified, we wish to thank the observers for lodging the reports. Keep watching the sky!

Date:  Saturday 25 November 2006
Time:  1.40-2.30 pm
Place:  Orewa Beach, North Auckland, North Island. 
 
Description:  The weather was sunny, with some clouds. The witnesses (2) were on the 10th floor of an apartment building.  They observed an object traveling from east to west at a slow ‘gliding’ speed quite some distance out over the ocean.  At first they thought it was either a kite or a hang glider. It traveled slowly towards land, up and along a ridgeline north of them.  Through the viewfinder of the camera, they could not see any tether line.  Because of the considerable distance it traveled from out at sea, they decided it could not be a kite or hang glider, and they could not see a person suspended from it.  It was v or boomerang shaped, and glowed red.  It appeared to be a powered object, ascending and descending, and appearing to hover for periods.  Something could be seen trailing off its left edge.
The object was lost from view behind trees at the northern end of Orewa, at which point it appeared to be glowing intensely red.  The flight was captured on mini-DV video tape (approx 25-30 mins).  Friends who viewed the footage agreed it was a strange object.
Before contacting UFOCUS NZ, the witnesses searched the internet for flying objects of similar appearance, but found nothing.

Findings:  Photos of the object, and a flight path map made by the observers were examined by UFOCUS NZ.  The map, showing the relatively low altitude of the object and its descent behind low trees at the end of the beach in a heavily populated area, convinced us that the object was a large fishing kite.  Photo 1 shows the kite approaching over the sea.  Photo 2 shows a classic fishing kite profile. Photo 3 shows a map of the area.

Classification:  SKEPTIC SOCIETY HOAX!
Date:  Monday 25 September, 2006
Time:  7.30 pm
Place:  A park or backyard somewhere in Mangere, Sth Auckland

Description:
UFOCUS NZ received a sighting report concerning a lighted disc with green light in the centre, which had been sighted by many people in the area, including 20 members of a local art group.  Reports were made to Radio Live on both the Marcus Lush programme Monday evening, and the Michael Laws programme Tuesday morning.

UFOCUS NZ was contacted by an Auckland radio station and invited to comment on the sighting.  The announcer also had on line a person claiming to be an enthusiastic witness of the event.  The announcer was keen to have UFOCUS NZ state categorically that the lighted object was a craft, however we are much more professional and thorough than that, so we stated that no such claims could be made, and that we would have to interview witnesses, check out astronomical features, consult ATC etc, before we could make any statement.  At this point, the enthusiastic ‘witness’ professed to be a member of the Skeptic Society, who was actually impressed by our logical and scientific approach to investigations.  In fact he reprimanded the radio announcer for having tried to push us into a rash analysis!

We soon discovered that this ‘sighting’ was a prank set up by members of the Skeptic Society to ‘test’ the credibility or gullibility of UFO sighting investigators, as a prelude to their annual conference the following weekend.   As a result, members of the Skeptic Society and Sue Hansen from UFOCUS NZ were interviewed on ‘Campbell Live’ TV3.  We extend our thanks to the Skeptic Society for having helped raised our profile in this field!
To read an excellent article by US physicist and optical data analyst Dr Bruce Maccabee, CLICK HERE: ‘Prosaic Explanations: The Failure of UFO Skepticism’.

Date:  24 June 2006
Time:  Approx. 10.35pm – 10.50pm
Place:  Manurewa, Auckland

Description:  The sighting lasted approx. 15 minutes with 3 observers, viewed from an easterly direction, looking NW to Manurewa/Mangare.  A very clear night with minimal clouds.  For approx. 8 mins, the brightly lit object appeared to be stationary.  It then briefly moved about continuously before slowly moving off in a southerly direction.  It appeared about the size of a small plane, with flashing colours.  Most of the light was projected from the front of the object.  Footage & photos provided from digital camera.

UFOCUS NZ contacted ATC; none of the Auckland ATCs recorded either a visual or radar anomaly.  The footage was viewed by UFOCUS NZ and Hamilton & Auckland ATC & identified as a helicopter.  The time, position, & direction of the sighting all corresponded with the movements of a police helicopter using spotlights, working over Manurewa, Cornwallis, & south of the city.

Date: 19 and 20 May 2006
Time: between 8.30pm and 9.00pm on both days
Place: Hamilton

Description: On, and following these two evenings, a number of people contacted the Waikato Times, the police, the Hamilton Astronomical Society, and the local 'News Talk ZB' radio station to report an UAP (unusual aerial phenomenon) taking place.

They reported sighting mysterious white luminous circles 'dancing' in the sky above the city of Hamilton, and the townships of Cambridge and Te Awamutu. The glowing circles seemed to appear, move, disappear and reappear!

Meanwhile, the staff in the control tower at Hamilton airport were able to observe this spectacular phenomenon at close proximity. They were also able to inform the groups above that the phenomenon was caused by two powerful spotlights (searchlights) that were being trialled at the nearby Mystery Creek Field Days site, in preparation for their use at the Cambridge High School ball to be held there on Saturday.

According to our Air Traffic Controller, Graeme, depending on where the observer was, and the sighting angle, the spotlights reflecting off the 3000ft cloud base would give the appearance of the circles being in different locations over the 3 towns. When the spotlights were turned on and off, the mysterious glowing 'discs' seemed to disappear and reappear elsewhere, similar to many reports of the often erratic movements of UFOs.

Selection of Historic Sighting Reports

Classification:  DD (daylight disc/object)
Date:  Late August or early September, 1971
Time:  Approx 4.30 p.m., late afternoon
Place:  Ohinepaka, south of Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, North Island.

Description:
“I was working on a sheep station up the Cricklewood Road, Ohinepaka, just south of Wairoa, Hawkes Bay in 1971.  It was late afternoon, around 4:30 p.m. and I was heading back to the station buildings.  There was plenty of sunshine and the sky was cloudless with no wind.  I came through a gate on horseback with a team of four dogs and we moved onto the farm road high up on a hill.  Suddenly, all the dogs ‘stopped dead’ in the middle of the road, just staring straight ahead with all the hair on their backs standing on end; all the barking and running about ceased.  I was thinking this was odd when the horse came to a standstill as well, with its clipped mane standing on end - all 5 inches plus!  I couldn't work out what was going on!  They just stood there like statues - no barking or movement of any kind.  There were no muscles twitching on the horse’s neck and flanks.  Then it hit me that I could no longer move my body either!  I was sitting there on horseback, completely paralyzed, with the exception of slight eye and head movement.  I couldn't move my body or limbs, and like the dogs, I couldn't make any sound.  It was absolutely terrifying.

Then, I saw what was happening!  Straight down the valley ahead of us over a low ridge- line about a quarter of a mile off, was a jet black, cone-shaped flying object with flashing lights rotating around its edges: red, blue, and white.  One light would be red, then it would change to blue, then white.  The bottom of the object was curved like a shallow bowl.  It was at least 50 feet across in width and maybe twenty feet in height from the base to the top of the cone.  I could see it as clear as a bell!  It had no windows or portholes that I could see, and it resembled those tops that kids used to play with.  The horse and dogs never moved a muscle the whole time I was watching it - it was as if they didn't even breathe.

I had a panoramic view from my position. Initially, I was looking down on the object as it was moving down the valley towards us, but eventually it moved up higher over the hill-line, so I was able to observe it from different angles as it moved about out in front of me.  The object’s flight path was as follows: it moved up a ridge line and hovered at the top of the hill.  It then moved along the hill line about 1000 yards or more and stopped.  It hovered there without moving or making any sound, but the coloured lights kept flashing around its edges in a sequence.  It traveled down another ridge line, stopped dead in its tracks and hovered there.  It then elevated some 500 feet or so straight up into the air above the hill and hovered there without moving.  Suddenly it just shot off up into the sky on an upward curved flight path, heading south out over the sea.  I have never seen anything move so fast, from zero to hundreds of miles an hour in seconds, without making any sound at all.

About then, the horse, dogs and I all ‘came back to life’ and started to move again as if we had been released from a ‘hold’.  To me, it was an extremely frightening experience.  I know very well that this thing - this craft - was not of this world.  Nothing in this world that I know of flies or moves in this way without making a great amount of noise.  This craft was controlled by someone or something.

The time period that I watched this craft would have been five to 10 minutes - just sitting there unable to move.  It was not a helicopter.  A helicopter cannot control its flight like this craft did.  The speed acceleration from zero to hundreds of miles an hour in seconds, without noise, was incredible.  This craft did not rotate or change its angle of flight position (turn on its side, etc) during the whole time that it was moving up and down the ridge lines; it was under full control.

At first I did not tell the station owner and workers, or anyone else about this incident for fear of ridicule.  However two weeks later, we noticed that a small Hereford bull had disappeared from the station and it was then that I told them what I had experienced.  The bull had been in a paddock with a herd of Angus cows, situated at least a quarter of a mile from the road, over a small river and out of sight.  Nobody except the farm employees would have known that it was there.  I spent three days riding around the station on horse- back looking for it, and so did the owner.  Not a hair of it was found.  The bull didn't just go walkabout as he had too many cows to keep him happy!  I have often wondered whether the bull was taken by this craft - perhaps in the same paralyzed state that the animals and I had been in.

This incident is as clear in my mind now as it was on that day - the memory has never left me.  I know to this day what I saw.  I think it was a craft from another world - a ‘UFO’ - it was like a passing ‘moment’ in time where everything stood still.

L.W.
Former sheep station worker.

UFOCUS NZ comment: For more info on unusual shaped craft visit: http://www.uforth.com/
Scroll down to conical hat, bell, cone, & diamond shaped craft.

Artist's impression of craft

Dear Suzanne

A couple of years ago my daughter and I had an unusual sighting.  My daughter was putting the rubbish bin out by the road at around 9.30 – 10.30 pm.  She called me to come out and look at something, which I did.  We were standing at our front gate looking SSE.  We saw these small lights in the sky with a distance between each of them – in a kind of formation.  It was a cloudy evening, and we could see the lights moving from left to right.  We watched for a few minutes, then I ran inside to get my camera.  I took a photo hoping that the lights would show up, but when the film was developed it was completely different to what we saw with the naked eye.  The clouds were not visible and there were huge round shapes of bright white light.  Now that is not what I took a photo of!  There was no sound whatsoever.  I can’t understand what happened to the clouds. 
Regards
F. N.
Auckland, 18/7/2007

On January 12, 1965, a DC-3 transport plane took off from Whenuapai Airport, Auckland for a flight to Kaitaia.  As the twin-engine propeller plane flew over Kaipara Harbour, a broad estuary 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Auckland, the pilot, Captain Kirkpatrick, spotted an unusual gleam in the water below -- an unidentified submerged object or USO.  He was about one-third of the way across Kaipara Harbour when he saw what he at first believed to be a stranded gray-white whale in an estuary.  As he veered his DC-3 for a closer look at the object, it became evident to him that he was observing a metallic structure of some sort.  Captain Kirkpatrick noted that the thing was perfectly streamlined and symmetrical in shape... had no external control surfaces or protrusions... appeared metallic with the suggestion of a hatch on top...was resting on the bottom of the estuary and headed toward the south as suggested by the streamlined shape... was harbored in no more than 30 feet of water... was not shaped like a normal submarine but approximately 100 feet in length with a diameter of 15 feet at its widest part.  After he filed his flight report, the Royal New Zealand Navy told Captain Kirkpatrick that it would have been impossible for any known model of submarine to have been in that particular area, due to the configuration of harbour and coastline.

Dear Mr Opie

I read your interest in unusual flying objects and thought I would tell you about something I saw once, that may interest you.

Late evening of 31 December 1944, I was on a beach in Queen Charlotte Sound when I heard a ‘rushing’ sound.  When I looked up I saw a round object traveling west to east above the hills parallel to the surface (horizontally above the hills).

The Marlborough Express reported the object as being a meteor(ite) (2nd & 4th January 1945).  Reports came in from Wairau Valley. Wellington, Carterton, Masterton and Castle Point.  Fishermen off Porirua Harbour described it as having a crimson centre merging to brilliant white, then a blue trail like a car exhaust.  Reports were that it was traveling slowly and leaving a smoky trail.

People at Castle Point reported that there was a loud explosion with a red ball going on further and then the colour going out just off-shore.  Nothing was ever found of its remains if indeed there was an explosion.  I doubt that there was an explosion, but that it (an object) went through the sound barrier, and seemed to disappear because the sunlight was no longer shining on it.

Whether the object was some experimental thing or something else I don’t know.  I expect it would have been reported in the Wellington papers and perhaps Auckland at the same time.

I only know of one other person who saw the actual object as I did, traveling horizontally (which meteorites do not do) and virtually silently.  I only hope this may be of some interest to you

Yours sincerely
J.G.
Blenheim

Classification:  Type 11 c, Type 111b, Type 1V a, c
Date:  16 February 2003
Time:  6.30 pm
Place:  Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula

Description:
Three sightings were made by the observers, approximately 5 minutes apart.  It was early evening, with plenty of sunshine; the sky had some broken cloud cover with a SW wind.

Three retired folks, a husband and wife and a friend, observed two mustard/zinc-like coloured discs appear from behind a bluff, SSW, closely followed by a silver cylindrical craft with pointed ends, no tail, and horizontal wings.  The discs appeared between the size of five and ten cent coins held at arm’s length.  They do not recall if there were any windows in any of the craft, but commented that the cylindrical object left a shimmering trail behind it.  All three craft were moving fast below the clouds and reflecting sunlight.  They estimated the craft were at an altitude of approx. 1000 to 1500 feet, and at one stage, the cylindrical craft was approx.1000 metres away from the observers.

The three craft disappeared and reappeared from behind trees and the bluff.  At one point, the two discs could be seen between the neighbour’s roof and a nearby tree.  The larger craft flew the same path, but reappeared and flew to a hill over the other side of the harbour.  The discs were moving about considerably in the sky during all three sightings of the objects.  The larger cylindrical craft hovered in clear view for a short while.  Eventually the three craft moved away to the east at speed and were lost from view over harbourside hills.  

The witnesses were amazed by the sighting, particularly as the objects made no sound.  The first to see the objects exclaimed, “What the hell’s that!”, and drew the objects to the attention of his wife and a friend.  They reported the event to the Air Force.

This sighting was preceded by a number of other sightings of strange lights and a ‘bullet-shaped object’ over a period of five days in the Thames, Coroglen, Coromandel Peninsula and Mercury Bay areas.  These sightings were reported in a number of articles in the Hauraki Herald.  The Hauraki Herald also contacted a squadron leader of the NZ Air Force, but the matter seemed to end there.

Dear Suzanne
Johnsonville, Wellington.
On September 2003 at 9.30pm-9.45pm approx. while I was preparing my telescope for an evening's star gazing, I saw what I first thought to be Mars because of its colour, then realized that Mars shouldn't be in that part of the sky at this time or date, so I looked at it with 7x50 binoculars and immediately saw that it was moving slowly against the backdrop of the stars.
I saw a cubic object, light orange in colour.  It was as though it was lit from inside – it was glowing. I called my wife to witness this event.
I watched it moving from NW slower than most satellites.  Movement was only discernable through the binoculars, as otherwise with the naked eye, it looked like a star or planet. The object stopped due west of us, where it suddenly shone a powerful light momentarily down, first to the left and then to the right about 250 meters apart. At first I thought that perhaps two people were shining powerful lamps from the ground, but on second thoughts I concluded that the light came from the object as it was instantaneous on and off, as though checking for something. The object moved off slowly in a WSW direction towards Makara.  There was no sound audible. The next day I wrote a report in my sketch pad and also made a sketch from memory.
This image was drawn on computer from that sketch.
The verticle sides were slightly convex that I couldn’t manage to do that image with this software.
D. E.
UFOCUS NZ: See other reports of ‘box-shaped’ craft sighted in NZ skies on our 2005-2007 sightings page, or go to our Articles page.

Date: 3 November 1962
Time: 9.30 pm GMT
Place: South Pacific Ocean

Description:
The duration of the sighting was approximately five minutes. There were several witnesses. It was a clear starry night.
The reporting witness was onboard the MV Ngatoro in the South Pacific Ocean, about four days out from the Panama Canal, en route to Wellington, New Zealand. They were about two days sailing past the Galapagos Islands on a southwesterly course, and steaming at about ten to twelve knots.

An unusual aerial object was sighted traveling from northwest to southeast, roughly in a line from Hawaii through to Peru - "In other words…over a lot of empty ocean!" The witnesses could not ascertain the distance, but they had "a wonderful clear display of whatever it was."

The witness states, "When the sighting occurred I was on lookout above the wheelhouse with the Second Officer and another crew member. One of the Officers looked at it through binoculars, but did not comment whether there was a definite shape or if it was a single craft. There was no sound. It is difficult to say whether it was a single vehicle or a group in the night sky. It had all the hallmarks of being One Massive Object, as the power source came from the outer extremities of what could be described as a boomerang configuration and there was a fixed light at the leading edge. The power source at these extremities left almost indelible bright 'contrails' across the sky from horizon to horizon, and took some five to ten minutes to dissipate!"

"If it had been a conventional aircraft, then in relation to size, the spread of the power sources (engines) would have meant that it would have needed to be flying at mast height, and therefore deafening us with the noise from the engines!
If not a conventional aircraft…and if it were all one craft (a single object), then it was COLLOSSAL! It took a full five minutes to go from first starboard sighting to our port side horizon. There was silence…. and the light emitted from directly behind the power source appeared effervescent before forming into a straight beam of light, which stretched across the entire sky. It was awe inspiring!"

"The sighting was never placed in the ships log as we thought that no one would ever believe us and we did not want to be the subjects of ridicule. We knew that there was a ship about 100 nautical miles to our starboard and which we contacted by radio, but they did not report anything unusual. I find it inconceivable that they didn't see it!! - unless the lookout and officer were doing a crossword or something! There was a feeling of euphoria after this sighting. Personally, I could not sleep after I had finished my watch at 4.00am. I immediately made a sketch of what I had seen, which I still have".

"There was I think, a nuclear test taking place at Wake Island at around that time, and I often wondered if what we saw was some unknown Russian spy craft, but my knowledge of known spy craft, having been in the British Forces recent to the event, ruled this out."

"I am now 69 years old and I am sure my watch mate has died by now, as he was very much older than me. I have often wondered about this event and it has stayed with me all these years".

K. Taylor
(We will post Mr Taylor's sketch here when we receive it.)

Hi Sue, Graeme and team
We witnessed an incredible sight in Westport - I think around 1983 - I can find out the exact date from the other witnesses. Four of us were driving down Brougham St - a wide street in town, and the main road to Karamea. It was about 1 am, and we had been to a meeting.

Taking up the entire width of the road about 100m in front of us was a glowing green elliptical shape. It was hovering around 10-20m above the road, and was about 20-40m in width. It was a solid colour, ie it could not be seen through, but it was not a clearly defined material (eg metal). The colour was more like one of those 'glow-in-the-dark' balls and did not appear to shed light (onto anything nearby). The shape was a classic UFO elliptical (saucer) shape - even and clearly defined.

I was driving, and with an expletive you can probably surmize!... I slammed on all anchors and came to a halt. We would have driven straight under it if I hadn't stopped. After what seemed like 5-10 seconds, during which all three of us gazed in awe (the other witness was asleep), the object then shot up and away over the Stockton Range at an unbelievably fast speed - I can only guess at something like 10-20 km in a second.

We reported this to the local newspaper in the hope that someone else had seen it, but no takers. However when I mentioned it to an old timber worker (now deceased) from the Victoria Forest Park (now named Kahurangi), he said he had seen these objects before, but didn't tell people about it in case they thought he was nuts. I will contact the other witnesses who were with me in the car on that evening, so that they can provide independent verification of this sighting. I am a science teacher, and I know what I saw. It was not any kind of aircraft.

Science teacher, South Island.

Dear Suzanne
I have been a long-time supporter UFO sightings.
I had a very exciting close up view of a large UFO in 1968 when I was living in Rotorua. The only person I ever told about it was my husband and my sister, as I thought I would be looked upon as a 'nutter'.

To this day I have never forgotten the experience and never will. To this day I can still see the object and remember the shape. I have kept the secret all these years.

I was living in a State housing area, and it was 9 o'clock at night. I had gone out to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, and my attention was drawn to a large white light outside the window (it was dark). It was a light I had never seen before. I went to the back door and opened it, and there in the vacant section over the fence at the back of the house, I saw a large object about the size of a house. It was square in shape and had something like 'turrets' on all four corners. Had OI climbed the fence, I could have walked over to it, but I was too scared as I had a young child asleep in the house.

I stood transfixed, and after about 20 seconds, it completely disappeared almost as though it knew it had been spotted! The bright white glaring light just disappeared like someone had turned it off - and it was gone. I went over into the paddock the next morning to look for marks in the grass, but there were none. I never saw it again, and there was no indication that anyone else (in the neighbourhood) had seen it.

After that experience I am a firm believer that UFOs exist.
J. E. New Plymouth, North Island
(UFOCUS NZ - see 'Articles' page, 'UFOCUS NZ Research Articles', 'Geometry in the Sky' for descriptions of rectangular shaped craft sighted over the Bay of Plenty).

Classification: Historic account
Date: Last quarter of 1999
Time: 5.10 am
Place: A dairy farm near Bulls, North Island

Description:
Given the length of time since this event occured, UFOCUS NZ cannot carry out comprehensive investigation, and can only report the event as described by the witness.

The witness, a female farm worker, was up early and about to bring in the cows for milking. It was 5.10am and very dark. She went out to the shed to start up a small tractor and heard a bump in the shed which she assumed was a possum. She was not normally scared by such things, but on this occasion she recalls that her hair 'stood on end' and something did not 'feel right'. Fifteen minutes later, while herding the cows up the track, she observed a strange 'creature' in the headlight, lying in the hayrack. It was approx. 3 feet long, very black, and had disproportionately large green eyes. She was adamant it was not a dog, cat or possum.

She then sighted a solid black cylindrical object near the centre of the next paddock. Nearby she could make out 5 or 6 'gliding figures' moving around the object. No distinct features or limbs were visible in the gloom. Alone, and unable to do much about the strange situation, the witness moved the cows briskly on up the track. Nothing unusual was evident in the paddock later on. The witness kept quiet about the incident for years, afraid of ridicule or the possibility of losing her job. She told only close family members.

Click here for a fuller account and more drawings of this event: 'Holy Cow!'

Head of the creature with disproportionately large eyes

A witness account from the time of the Gisborne UFO flap, late 70s - early 80s.
Email received 31 July 2007
Hullo Suzanne

I have lived in Gisborne for the past 36 years and back in the early 1980's had several sightings of UFOs. Despite living on the outskirts of Gisborne city, my ex husband and I witnessed a UFO hovering just above our back garden and then it just shot into the sky and seemed to disappear! I had just had my third baby so we were both up in the early hours of the morning attending to her and had this experience. The next day I mentioned it to my neighbour and she and her brother were very skeptical. However, three days later she came over to relate to me that at 4.00am, she was up to visit the loo and she thought the moonlight was extra strong. She glanced out of her window and both our properties were bathed in very bright light and there she witnessed a UFO hovering just above her apple trees. She said that if she had not witnessed this for herself, she would never have believed the stories of other people witnessing them.

I also saw them travelling in the late evening from west towards Kaiti Hill.

We moved into the rural area not far from the city (Hexton) and lived on Kings Road. Here too I had the experience of seeing UFO's travelling across the sky and then suddenly disappearing. One night I wakened and like you, saw a brilliant light around my house and the beams were coming in the windows. I could not move or breathe and felt a slight buzzing - then all of the sudden the light disappeared. I was terrified.

After Cyclone Bola (November 1988), I moved back into town. One night my son and one of his friends (both 12 years old) decided to sleep outside on the trampoline in their sleeping bags. It was the middle of summer and as boys do, they were looking forward to the adventure. About 2.00am, there was an almighty crashing noise and the boys were fighting their way to get back into the house. They were both excited and scared. They had talked till late in the night and were watching the sky when they spotted three UFO's travelling together and almost above them, but high in the sky. These vehicles started travelling in patterns of a pyramid and zig-zagging in and out of each other. They were also coloured blue/silver. The boys watched in awe and then decided it was too scary and came running in to spend the rest of the night inside.

My very first sighting was in 1963 when I was visiting India. I was up on the roof of an apartment building - about 11 stories high and was enjoying the cool evening breeze just looking out over the city, when I suddenly looked up and there just above me was a UFO! I froze in shock and as reported above, one minute it was above me and the next it ascended up into the atmosphere at a terrific speed and disappeared.

I did report my Gisborne sightings to Norman Maclean who was taking names in the 1980's but have not mentioned it again, as people may think that those of us who have seen them (UFOs) are absolutely barmy or cracked.

Anyhow, good luck with your research. I hope I hear about any progress that you might make in the future.

Anomalous Sightings / Events

(Unusual lights, aerial phenomena (UAPs), paranormal phenomena)

Great Balls of Fire!

This photo was sent to us in September 2006 by S. Rath. It was taken over Christchurch, South Island, around the time of the appearance of a meteorite over Canterbury. Given it's fiery appearance and horizontal wavering trajectory, we have reached no conclusion as to what it is.

Strange image captured on film.

This photo was taken by a friend in her kitchen on a digital camera – the second of two.  When she viewed the first, she saw an unusual light, deleted it, and took another.  This striking light/energy formation showed up on the second photo, and she realized that the first photo had captured the beginning formation of this anomaly taking place.  The whole shape would appear to have been formed by a fast moving ball of light leaving a distinct brilliant trail.  The photo is still stored on the memory card.  We would welcome any thoughts on this photo.

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