UFO sightings in New Zealand

Short description: None

The most widely reported UFO incident in New Zealand, and the only one investigated, involved the Kaikoura lights encountered by aircraft, filmed and tracked by radar in December 1978. The New Zealand Defence Force does not take an official interest in UFO reports,[1] but in December 2010 it released files on hundreds of purported UFO reports.[2] New Zealand's then-Minister of Defence, Wayne Mapp said at the time people could "make what they will" of the reports, and said "a quick scan of the files indicates that virtually everything has a natural explanation".

## Contents

* 1 1950s
* 2 1970s
* 3 2010s
* 4 2020s
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 Further reading
* 8 External links

## 1950s

* In 1955 the captain of a National Airways Corporation aircraft reported seeing a light that showed apparent movement and changes in colour and intensity. The Director of Intelligence at the Carter Observatory concluded that it was Venus as it rose in the night sky.[3][4]
* A Blenheim farmer claimed to have seen lights and a UFO containing two men in silvery suits in the early morning of 13 July 1959.[3]

## 1970s

Main article: Unsolved:Kaikoura lights

The 21 December 1978 incident in the Kaikoura area attracted media attention throughout New Zealand and Australia. The crew of a cargo plane reported strange lights over the Kaikoura Ranges and a Wellington radar team reported inexplicable readings. These were filmed by a news crew over several nights.

## 2010s

* On April 12, 2011, a family in Hāwera observed a fireball-like UFO at 8:55 PM, capturing the incident on camera. One witness stated it resembled a pyramid shape with a round top, later on it appeared to "cool down" with a red ring resembling a heating element. A week prior, a member of the Hawera Observatory and Astronomical Society observed a similar incident a week prior. A local dairy worker reported a similar sighting in the area during January 17 of the same year.[5]
* In June 2016, a spherical UFO was caught on camera near the city of Christchurch which rapidly changed colours and sped away after two hours.[4] Two sightings of the object occurred, with both being captured on camera, the changes in color appeared to be coordinated in the second sighting, which involved two objects.[6]
* On 31 March 2019, a couple spotted two lights hovering 200 metres above the water in Karekare Beach in Western Auckland. One of the two objects reported changed colour and quickly flew away. The couple later spotted 5 others displaying erratic flight patterns and changing their color.[7]

## 2020s

* A woman residing in Porirua witnessed three objects hovering over the city in the morning of August 3, 2020. She captured the objects on film and shared them on a local Facebook group, where another resident commented he saw the same objects.[8]

## See also

* Bruce Cathie, a New Zealand author who has written about flying saucers
* UFO sightings in Australia

## References

1. ↑ Wood, Stacey; Duff, Michelle; Johnston, Kirsty (23 December 2010). "Our X-files are out". Dominion Post. http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4487779/Our-X-files-are-out.
2. ↑ Wood, Stacey; Duff, Michelle; Johnston, Kirsty (23 December 2010). "Secret UFO files revealed". The Press. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/4487886/Secret-UFO-files-revealed.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Only one NZ UFO sighting investigated". The Press. 23 December 2010. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/4487888/Only-one-NZ-UFO-sighting-investigated.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Daly, Michael (16 June 2016). "Mysterious bright sphere over Christchurch latest in record of unexplained Kiwi UFOs" (in en). https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/81126150/mysterious-bright-sphere-over-christchurch-latest-in-record-of-unexplained-kiwi-ufos.
5. ↑ Boreham, Jay; Harper, Laird; Stanley, Ben (14 April 2011). "UFO sightings in Taranaki, Waikato skies" (in en). http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/4886113/UFO-sightings-in-Taranaki-Waikato-skies?rm=m.
6. ↑ McDonald, Liz (15 June 2016). "Man films mystery objects in night sky" (in en). https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/81042630/man-films-mystery-objects-in-night-sky?rm=m.
7. ↑ Palmer, Scott. "Bizarre west Auckland UFO sighting terrifies couple" (in en). https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/04/bizarre-west-auckland-ufo-sighting-terrifies-couple.html.
8. ↑ "UFO over Porirua? Mysterious hovering lights stun locals" (in en-NZ). https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ufo-over-porirua-mysterious-hovering-lights-stun-locals/VJIXT7LOGC5EEABMR2TMCW65OM/.

## Further reading

* Daniken, Erich von; Earth Colonisation Research Association (1978). Erich Von Daniken and UFO's in New Zealand: We Are Not Alone. Paraparaumu: ECRA promotions.
* Startup, Bill (1980). The Kaikoura UFOs. Auckland: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-25689-3.
* Dykes, Mervyn (1981). Strangers in Our Skies: UFOs Over New Zealand. Lower Hutt, N.Z: INL Print. ISBN 0-86464-004-8.
* Hassall, Peter (1998). The NZ Files: UFOs in New Zealand. Auckland, N.Z: David Bateman. ISBN 1-86953-370-4.
* Hyde, Vicki (2006). Oddzone: Paranormal Phenomena, Alien Abductions, Animal Mysteries, Psychics and Mediums and Other Weird Kiwi Stuff. Auckland, N.Z: New Holland. ISBN 978-1-86966-143-4.

## External links

* Ian Porritt UFO UAP Researcher
* UFOCUS NZ
* New Zealand sightings at UFOINFO
* Original files: New Zealands's UFO sightings

* v
* t
* e

UFOs

* Ufology
* Index of ufology articles

Claimed sightings|

| General|

* List of reported UFO sightings
* Sightings in outer space

|

Pre-20th century|

* Tulli Papyrus (possibly 15th century B.C.)
* Ezekiel's Wheel (circa 622–570 B.C.)
* 1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg
* 1566 celestial phenomenon over Basel
* José Bonilla observation (1883)
* Aurora (1897)

20th century|

* Los Angeles (1942)
* Kenneth Arnold (1947)
* Roswell (1947)
* Mantell (1948)
* Chiles-Whitted (1948)
* Gorman Dogfight (1948)
* Mariana (1950)
* McMinnville photographs (1950)
* Sperry (1950)
* Lubbock Lights (1951)
* Carson Sink (1952)
* Nash-Fortenberry (1952)
* Washington, D.C. (1952)
* Flatwoods monster (1952)
* Ellsworth (1953)
* Kelly–Hopkinsville (1955)
* Lakenheath-Bentwaters (1956)
* Antônio Vilas Boas (1957)
* Levelland (1957)
* Trindade Island (1958)
* Barney and Betty Hill abduction (1961)
* Lonnie Zamora incident (1964)
* Solway Firth Spaceman (1964)
* Exeter (1965)
* Kecksburg (1965)
* Westall (1966)
* Shag Harbour (1967)
* Pascagoula Abduction (1973)
* Travis Walton incident (1975)
* Allagash (1976)
* Tehran (1976)
* Petrozavodsk phenomenon (1977)
* Operação Prato (1977)
* Valentich disappearance (1978)
* Kaikoura Lights (1978)
* Robert Taylor incident (1979)
* Val Johnson incident (1979)
* Cash-Landrum incident (1980)
* Rendlesham Forest (1980)
* Trans-en-Provence (1981)
* Japan Air Lines (1986)
* Voronezh UFO incident (1989)
* Belgian UFO wave (1990)
* Varginha (1996)
* Phoenix Lights (1997)

21st century|

* USS Nimitz UFO incident (2004)
* Campeche, Mexico (2004)
* O'Hare Airport (2006)
* Alderney (2007)
* Norway (2009)

Confirmed hoaxes|

* Maury Island incident
* Aztec, New Mexico, UFO incident
* Morristown UFO hoax

Sightings by country|

* Argentina
* Australia
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Brazil
* Canada
* China
* France
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Italy
* Mexico
* New Zealand
* Norway
* Philippines
* Russia
* South Africa
* Spain (Canary Islands)
* Sweden
* Thailand
* United Kingdom
* United States

Types of UFOs|

* Black triangle
* Flying saucer
* Foo fighter
* Ghost rockets
* Green fireballs
* Mystery airship
* Space jellyfish

Types of alleged
extraterrestrial beings|

* Energy beings
* Grey aliens
* Insectoids
* Little green men
* Nordic aliens
* Reptilian humanoids

Studies|

* The Flying Saucers Are Real (1947–1950)
* Project Sign (1948)
* Estimate of the Situation
* Project Grudge (1949)
* Flying Saucer Working Party (1950)
* Project Magnet (1950–1962)
* Project Blue Book (1952–1970)
* Robertson Panel (1953)
* Condon Report (1966–1968)
* Institute 22 (1978–?)
* Project Condign (1997–2000)
* Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (2007–2012)
* Identification studies of UFOs

Hypotheses|

* Ancient astronauts
* Cryptoterrestrial
* Extraterrestrial
* Interdimensional
* Psychosocial
* Nazi UFOs
* Trotskyist-Posadism

Conspiracy theories|

* Area 51
* Storm Area 51
* Bob Lazar
* Dulce Base
* Majestic 12
* Men in black
* Project Serpo

Involvement|

| Abduction claims|

* History
* Entities
* Claimants
* Narrative
* Perspectives
* Insurance

|

Other|

* Implants
* Cattle mutilation
* Close encounter
* Contactee
* Crop circles
* Government responses
* GEIPAN
* Organizations
* Ufologists

Culture|

* Conventions
* Fiction
* Religions
* list

Skepticism|

* List of scientific skeptics
* Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

* Category

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