All sightings, photographs, drawings and articles are © Ufocus NZ.

The extent of our investigation and analysis of sighting reports is dependent upon the data received, and the length of time elapsed between the sighting event and the receipt of a report.  If applicable, additional comments are made at the bottom of a report.

Date: Sunday 5 November 2006

Time: Around 9.30 pm

Location: Gluepot Road, Oropi, Tauranga, North Island

Features/characteristics: two orange glowing orbs moving at speed

Description:

Witnesses had two sightings of similar lights/objects approx. 20 minutes apart. Each sighting lasted approx. 2 minutes. It was a clear evening with a full moon and some stars; some slight cloud cover, with virtually no wind. The witnesses live high up in a rural farming area.

Sighting 1: The witness and two of his sons (aged 9 &11) were outside when they noticed an unusual light approaching in the sky, just to the south of their house. They called the rest of the family, his wife and 4 children, from inside the house to watch this unusual light. It crossed the sky heading west to east, traveling at a moderate but steady speed reasonably high up, but below the clouds. The parents were able to watch it through binoculars before it disappeared into the distance. The family remained outside tending to their hen house.

Artist’s impression of the light(s

Sighting 2: Quote from witness: “It was with disbelief that we saw the next (second light) appear and we all got to see it clearly as it was lower. A bright yellow intense light with a red pulsing centre, flying at a steady rate from the direction of the Kaimai Ranges across the full range of the sky until it disappeared from view over the Welcome Bay/ Papamoa Hills. When viewed through the binoculars, you could very clearly see the centre pulsing or flaring. This second light flew over high above the treetops and we were able to watch it travel across the sky and eventually disappear. We all stood there trying to rationalize what we were seeing, but it was like nothing we had ever seen before. There was no noise; there were no other blinking lights (as on a plane or helicopter), it wasn’t a flare, or satellite or meteor.”

The witness rang the BOP Times newspaper the next morning however no one else had reported the lights. The witnesses stated the lights were as bright as a plane on fire in the sky.

Date: Tuesday 1st August 2006

Time: 8.50 pm

Location: Maungaraki, Lower Hutt, North Island

Features/characteristics: triangular object with lights shines beam of light

Description:

A witness was standing on his back doorstep, when he noticed a beam of light extending down over a hill approx. 1.2 kms from his house (looking in a northerly direction over bush-clad hills). Suddenly the beam disappeared and a large, bright yellowish light appeared and hovered soundlessly over the hill around 300-400ft above the summit. The witness watched it briefly and then called another witness from inside the house to video the light (captured on digital camera). After 30 seconds or so, the light began to move around above the hill, changing direction frequently. Two other lights began to flash on the underside forming a triangular shape in the sky, two bright yellow/white and one orange. The lights flashed on and off randomly, although they all moved about in unison or formation, as the light/object moved about. The witnesses believed the lights were all on one object, rather than a group of three separate objects. They considered the initial sudden appearance and the ‘behaviour’ of the light/object very strange.

The video footage shows a ‘falling leaf’ or ‘swaying’ type of movement, with sudden changes of direction, followed by a rotation of the three bright lights in triangular formation, executing a flat, angular turn on a flat plane (not banking like an aircraft), blunt-end-forward, as the light/object began to move off. The light configuration appeared to be on a large, flattish object, possibly triangular. The sighting lasted around 2 minutes and ceased when the lights “just flicked off like a light switching off”.

Ufocus NZ comment: Air Traffic Control has established that it was not an aircraft. The possibility that it may have been a police helicopter was ruled out when ATC viewed the footage, as the light configuration did not resemble that of a helicopter. The entire sighting captured on video shows 9 out of the 15 main characteristics of ‘black triangle’ craft, sightings of which are increasing worldwide. At the time of this sighting, reports were made of unusual lights in the night sky all over the southern North Island.

Still shots from the video. A single light is seen flashing on and off in the video, in the centre of the triangular light configuration.

Date: Sunday 21 May 2006

Time: 5-6.30 am

Location: Rimutaka Ranges, Wairarapa, North Island

Features/characteristics: bright purple-blue light changing to yellow,white

Description:

Duration approximately one hour or more. The sighting took place when the witness and his companion were travelling to Lake Wairarapa early Sunday morning to go duck shooting. The reporting witness has over 30 years experience hunting and tramping in the Rimutaka Ranges. The companions travelled out through Upper Hutt, over the Rimutaka Ranges, and then proceeded through Featherston into the Martinborough area. Their final destination was to be a ‘maimai’ (camouflaged duck shooting shelter) located near Kahutara, Lake Wairarapa.

It was early morning; the conditions were clear at the time, with no wind or moon.

The witnesses first spotted the unusual light between 5 and 5.30 am, when driving through Kaitoke, north of Upper Hutt on the approach to the Rimutaka Ranges. It was directly ahead of them over the hills; a large, bright purple\blue light, which changed to yellow and then white. The light initially appeared to be oval in shape, but its shape then became distorted or fuzzy. As the witnesses drew closer to the hills, the light moved and suddenly appeared very close to them, almost over them at one stage, before returning back to its original position at approximately 30-35 degrees above the ranges. They noticed that there was no sound accompanying the movement of the light close to them. The witnesses described the light as having soft hues that appeared to glow. They described the size of the light as ‘substantial’.

The light remained in view for approximately another 20-25 minutes until the men drove over the ranges and down the other side towards Featherstone. At this stage they lost sight of the light because of the close proximity of hill ridgelines (see Map 1). The men continued on their way discussing what they had seen. (The reporting witness had observed a similar unusual light on the West Coast of the South Island many years ago).

Upon arriving at the maimai, located at the north eastern end of Lake Wairarapa, the men busied themselves preparing for the mornings shooting. Once settled in the maimai, the witnesses were facing in a southwesterly direction overlooking the lake, waiting for ducks to show up! The sun had not yet risen.

Shortly after 6 pm, the men noticed a glow behind a hill some 12 kms distant (an estimate). (The hill is called Maunganui; see Map 2). Near the hill was a flat plateau along Western Lake Road. The witnesses observed this whole area – and the surrounding hills also – light up as if in daylight, and they saw a glowing light visible above Maunganui. This brilliant expanse of light remained constant for approx. 10 minutes before suddenly extinguishing, leaving the area in semi-darkness again before sunrise. The area that was lit up is sparsely populated, with only a few farms in the area. Both men were left baffled by this strange spectacle.

Date: 20 April 2006

Time: 10.05 pm

Location: Mourea, Rotorua, North Island

Features/characteristics: bright fast-moving white light

Description:

The witness was fishing off a jetty at the Ohau Channel and talking with his next door neighbour, when he observed a white light approaching from over the horizon due east. It was moving towards the observers crossing from east to north. It travelled in a straight line going very fast. The light was constant with no blinking and increased in brightness slightly. Several tall trees briefly obscured it above and beyond the settlement of Mourea. It faded from vision above the farm hills to the north. The duration of observation was approximately six seconds. The observer was unable to judge the distance to the light but thought it was very distant.

He states that in the same area of sky he has observed commercial aircraft approaching from Tauranga and other centres before turning into their final leg of the approach to Rotorua Airport. He is familiar with the lighting effects of the evening flights, and also with space station passing, irridium flares and satellites. The fast-moving, horizontal light he observed was nothing like any of these.

Date: Thursday 23 February 2006 

Time: Approx. 11pm

Location: Tauranga, North Island

Features/characteristics: triangular formation of lights changing configuration

Description:

The sighting occurred when the witness was walking home along Cameron Road, between 10th and 11th Avenues, Tauranga.

It was a warm, still evening. The sky was very clear and cloudless, and there were many stars visible. The witness had occasionally been glancing at the sky to admire the stars as he was walking.

Some movement of light caught his eye, and he saw three oval lights approaching in a triangular formation, moving from south to north at an estimated 80 kms/hr. The lights looked strange, as although they were bright, they were not diffusive or radiating light. They appeared to be very low – below 500 feet, but despite this, the witness could not make out any form or outline of an object. His initial thought was that it was an aircraft, however he realized that there was no sound at all.

As the lights came closer he saw that they were large, circular, and bright yellow/white. He described them as, “Like bright dinner plates – flat, not sending out a beam or glow of light, but still extremely bright.” The formation was “bigger than a car, but smaller than a house.” He became apprehensive when the lights changed configuration as they came closer and passed overhead. The two rear lights moved forwards diagonally, and merged with the leading light briefly becoming one, before moving back to the triangular formation. The witness said, “It was quick – and you could see an ‘after-blur’ of the movement.”

He watched the lights continue silently on their course repeating this pattern, until they were no longer visible. He stated he had felt both excited and apprehensive at the same time.

Ufocus NZ comment: Hamilton Air Traffic Control informed UFOCUS NZ there were no scheduled aircraft in the Tauranga area at that time and date. Both Tauranga and Rotorua airports were closed for the night. An unofficial source informed us that there may have been SAS manoeuvres in the area at that time, possibly in conjunction with the airforce. However, following inquiries with Whenuapai Operations, we were told that there were no military aircraft in the area at that time and date. SAS manoeuvres took place in following weeks.

The triangular formation of lights moved in a northerly direction. The rear two lights merged with the lead light becoming one, then returned to the triangular configuration. This pattern was repeated as the lights moved across the sky.