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: Monday 31 December 2007

Time: 2.59 pm

Location: Lanes Dam, Alexandra, South Island

Features/characteristics: grey cigar-shaped object

Description:

A family was taking photographs near Lanes Dam, south southwest of Alexandra. The sky was clear with some distant clouds over the Old Man Range. Three photos were taken by one of the witnesses looking towards the obelisk (mast) on the ranges. None of the witnesses saw or heard any aircraft during the time spent at the dam.

The first photo was taken at 2.59.34 pm and showed two people sitting near trees by a dam. There were no anomalies apparent in the sky, however, with magnification, 2 small silver-grey orb-like or spherical objects can be seen in the sky in the photo.

The second photo was taken 2 seconds later at 2.59.36 pm.  A grey cigar-shaped object could now be seen in the sky to the rear of the pine trees, at right of the people.

On further examination and magnification of the photo, the two small orb-like or spherical objects can also be seen in the sky to the left and far left of the larger object. The shadows/sunlight on the objects, the people and other features in the photo are all consistent with the position of the sun. The three objects appear to be moving from right to left across the field of view of the camera, with the 2 small objects preceding the larger object.

The third photo was taken 2 seconds later at 2.59.38 pm. Using magnification, a small spherical object can be seen above a pine tree.

ATC confirms there were no aircraft in the area at the time the photos were taken.

Date: Friday 28 December 2007

Time: 10.45 pm

Location: Whakatane, North Island

Features/characteristics: pale orange light rapidly ascending

Description:

The sighting lasted approx. 3 minutes. Clear sky – the moon had not yet risen.

The three observers were looking east and seaward over Kohi Point in the direction of Ohope or East Cape. They observed a bright pale-orange light (rather like the colour of orange sodium streetlights) that looked bigger than a bright planet like Venus. The light appeared high in the sky and stationary at first, before then moving suddenly to the left and then rapidly descending until lost from view. They described the speed at which it moved as faster than a plane and a vertical descent.

One of the observers has seen unusual lights in the sky on two previous occasions in the Whakatane area and reported them to the local radio station. He stated, “Once is a mystery, twice is a curiosity, three times is an anomaly. I would encourage others to report their sightings.”

Date: 24 November 2007

Time: Approx 8 pm

Location: Orewa, Hibiscus Coast, North Island

Features/characteristics: three orange lights enter cloud bank

Description:

The duration of the sighting was approximately 2 minutes. The sky was clear over land, but partially cloudy out over the sea. There were no visible stars or planets that could be confused with the lights observed.

At around 8 p.m. in the evening, a witness sighted three orange lights, travelling in a constant horizontal formation. The lights were travelling over Orewa, from west to east, heading out over the sea (roughly from Silverdale towards Great Barrier Island). The lights were quite large.

The witness observed the lights travelling at a constant speed, out over the sea and below cloud level. The light on the left of the formation suddenly ‘zig-zagged’ away at high speed, and was rapidly lost from view. The two remaining lights maintained a constant speed and formation, and eventually disappeared into a cloud bank. The witness described the orange lights as very clearly defined, rather than radiant.

The witness stated that it was a very quiet evening, and that there was absolutely no sound associated with these lights passing overhead and out to sea. He commented that he can usually hear planes at high altitude, passing overhead en route to Norfolk Island, however there were no other lights associated with these orange lights that would indicate that they were aircraft.

Date: Wednesday 14 November 2007

Time: 9.50 pm

Location: Cromwell, South Island

Features/characteristics: bright light executes acute-angled turn

Description:

The duration of the sighting was less than 2 minutes. There were a few stars in the sky, with clear weather and a south-southeast wind.

Four witnesses observed a bright light in the sky above old Cromwell, heading north-east. It was higher in altitude than the domestic aircraft flights that they observe passing over Cromwell to and from Queenstown.

The witness stated, “The average plane that flies over Cromwell can be seen for at least 5-6 minutes before they are out of sight. The UFO we saw was in view for less than 2 minutes. It moved pretty fast.”

The light seemed to appear in the sky moving from west to east, then suddenly changed course to north-east at an acute angle. The observers estimated that it was approx 1000-2000 metres away in the sky, although the distance was hard to judge. They attempted to film the light with a digital camera, but its movement was too quick. The light suddenly accelerated upwards in the atmosphere in less than 5 seconds, and rapidly diminished and disappeared.

Date: Saturday 22 September 2007

Time: Between 7 pm and 7.03 pm

Location: Urenui, Taranaki, North Island

Features/characteristics: two bright oblong lights

Description:

Two sightings occurred over the duration of several minutes. There was good visibility with some light cloud in very small patches, with a westerly wind.
The witnesses spend a lot of time outdoors and are familiar with the appearance of the sky: stars, constellations, satellites, meteorites etc. These lights/objects did not resemble any of these.

The witnesses, a husband and wife, were out on their property in a valley in a back country basin cutting tracks and they had just returned to their camp hut. They were approximately 100 yards south east of the Tuahu trig.

The husband observed an intensely bright oblong light in the sky traveling from south to north. He called his wife, and they both observed a second identical light travelling on the same flight path about 3 thousand yards behind the first, with the same constant speed, similar to that of a helicopter. The bright lights were relatively close to the observers at a low altitude estimated by the observers to be under 2000 yards. The most unusual factor of the flight of these lights was that they were completely silent.

“As other (domestic) flights go over, we can hear their engines, even at extreme ranges.”
The light or glow emitted by these objects was described by the witnesses as ‘odd’ – they glowed a bright white/yellow, the intensity of which remained constant when viewed from other angles as the object crossed the sky.

A few minutes after the sighting, they observed the Wellington/Auckland domestic flight fly over at a higher altitude. The objects/lights sighted traveled east of the domestic plane’s flight path. The bright lights were lost from view as they both passed over a ridge. The observers used 10×42 Leica binoculars to observe the lights.

The witnesses stated, “The lights were very big (in comparison to stars) – the light intensity being many times greater than the light of the domestic flight.”

Date: Saturday 15 September 2007

Time: unknown

Location: Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula, North Island

Features/characteristics: ‘faceted’ object; daytime sighting

Description:

The day was fine and sunny with a few clouds. A witness was looking to the southwest of Whitianga, towards Coroglen, when he noticed an unusual object in the sky. It was a peculiar shape and was moving at about twice the speed of a Cesna aircraft. There was no sound associated with the sighting.

The front or leading side of the object was not very long, and was described as being like a ‘nose cone’, but it was not smooth and rounded like that of an aircraft. The witness described it as, “grey, stubby and jagged – like a giant piece of flying coal! The whole front of it appeared faceted like the faceted cuts of a precious stone.”

The object flew on a smooth and steady path northeast towards the witness’s position in the township. He observed the object fly into a small cloud and expected it to emerge again in a second or two. The witness waited several minutes and intently watched the cloud, however the object never emerged from it. The witness was bewildered by this event. He went inside and tried to draw the unusual object, however he found it impossible to satisfactorily recreate the unusual faceted appearance of it.

Date:  Friday 13 July 2007

Time: approx 10.15 pm

Location: Levin, Horowhenua, North Island

Features/characteristics: bright light performs series of ‘drops’

Description:

The night was ‘crystal clear’ with some stars in the sky.

The witnesses, a farmer and his wife, observed an unusual, extremely bright light in the sky over the Tararua Ranges. The light was observed for around an hour and a half, during which time it made erratic movements between periods of remaining stationary. It was observed through binoculars and with the naked eye.

During a 1 ½ hour period, it was seen to move erratically up and down, and periodically from side to side, or it was stationary. It moved briefly from the southwest in a northerly direction. At one point it was observed to ascend vertically high into the sky, and then to perform a series of distinct ‘drops’ before becoming stationary again. The observers went inside or out into a paddock briefly a couple of times during this period of time, but the light was still there on their return. The couple observed very distinct periods of changes in the colour of the light – vivid green, vivid red/orange, and bright white.

There were no helicopters or aircraft visible in the sky during the sighting. The couple rang the Levin police and the Carter Observatory, but did not receive any explanation from either as to what the object could be.

Date: Thursday 12 July 2007

Time: 12.30 pm

Location: Remuera, Auckland, North Island

Features/characteristics: bright light executes sharp turn

Description:

The sighting lasted approximately 20 seconds. Some clouds, with very good visibility with strong, gusty SE wind.

The observer, a roofing contractor, was lying across the seat of his truck having a rest after lunch, and was looking at the sky to the NE. A bright light came into view from the right of the area viewed and moved across the sky from south to north at about 50-60 degrees above the horizon. His first impression was that this was sunlight reflecting off an aircraft, given the position of the sun. However as the light moved across the sky, the intensity of the light did not alter so the observer sat up and watched the light more closely. He describes it as being, “very bright – say twice as bright as Venus.” The sun was above and behind the object.

As it passed near to a small cloud, a short-lived contrail formed on the trailing edge of the light, similar to what forms off an aircraft wing in humid conditions. The light then passed near to a larger adjacent cloud and made a sharp turn and disappeared from sight. The observer’s impression at the time was that the light had extinguished, as the cloud was too thin to ‘hide’ in. He continued watching the area around the cloud for 2 to 3 minutes but saw nothing else.

The witness states that he is an aviation enthusiast and has been watching aircraft in flight for decades. He also observes sky and weather conditions frequently during his working day. Given that the light made an impossibly sharp turn (not possible for a conventional aircraft), he believes that it was not an aircraft.

Date: Saturday 28 April 2007

Time: 5.42 pm (sunset)

Location: Ahipara Beach, Northland, North Island 

Features/characteristics: photos of anomalous glowing saucer-shaped object

Description:

Duration of sighting approx. 4 mins 30 secs.

After watching the progressing sunset, the witness was in his car ready to leave the beach, when he noticed a bright, white light in the sky with a short blurry tail behind it. The light was moving very slowly in a northerly direction (away from the observer, and slightly to the right in his field of vision).

He quickly got out his camera to get a closer view, to ascertain whether it could be a bright star or planet (there were no other stars visible in the sky). Using the zoom setting he saw that the unusual light or object appeared oval in shape. He observed it for approximately 4 ½ minutes during which time he took a series of eight photos. The witness did not hear any sound.

The witness sighted the object very close to the time that the sun set over the headland. There was still some light in the sky, and the moon was rising in the east at the time of the sighting. The object is certainly not a cloud. Carter Observatory has confirmed exact sunset time in relation to the time the photos were taken.

The photos were taken using a Sony digital camera, model DSC-F828. When the witness viewed the photos on his computer, he saw distinct images. The object’s shape or angle of movement appeared to alter slightly as it moved further away, as seen in each photo, although the movement was almost imperceptible to the witness at the time of sighting.

The photos have been examined by an overseas optical data analyst who noted that the shapes in the images are most unusual, and could possibly be consistent with a jet contrail viewed ‘end on’.

However ATC has confirmed there were no scheduled flights in that area at that time. ATC has stated that if it were a contrail, they would expect to see consistency of shape from both trails, and a ‘flow-off’ similar to a cirrus cloud, if blown by winds. The shapes in the photographs are compact.

The analyst stated that although the object or shape appeared to be moving slowly from the witness’s point of view, the object could have been traveling rapidly but seen from the rear, its speed was not apparent. He also stated that while the object did not display flight characteristics at the time of photographing that would necessarily distinguish it as a ‘craft’ of unknown origin, the shape of the image certainly suggests a circular ‘something’ with a dome-like top.

Both Ufocus NZ and the analyst agree that no firm conclusion can been reached as to what this strange object is at present, and it is classified as an unusual aerial phenomenon (UAP).

However, following enquiries and media articles on the sighting, Ufocus NZ received sighting reports from two other people who were fishing at Ahipara Beach on the same day as this sighting (April 28), who also observed and photographed the light. They stated they arrived at local Fishing Club premises to attend a meeting just before dusk. As they came over the rise near the clubrooms, they were confronted by an unusual sight out in front of them over the sea. They observed an oval silver-grey object in close to shore, which was moving away from them and giving off a glow or light. As the object moved away, it appeared as a large light in the sky. The two witnesses went into the clubrooms and asked other members of the fishing club to come out and look at the light as it receded into the distance. At around this time, the original witness would have been taking his photos of the light.

The second two witnesses also observed what they believe to be the same, or a similar object a week later at a place called Lone Pine, north of Ahipara. They have film (not digital) that clearly shows the object.

Ufocus NZ was approached by an amateur astronomer who claimed the light would have been Venus rising, however Ufocus NZ had already investigated and discounted this possibility, and the astronomer later concurred with this.

More witnesses came forward with daylight photos of an object leaving a trail in the sky. There were no scheduled flights on that route or in that area at that time.

Photo one of a series of 8.

Close up of this photo

Composite picture of 6 of the images of the UAP.

Date: 8 April 2007

Time: approx 12.00 pm

Location: Himatangi Beach, near Palmerston North, Manawatu, North Island

Features/characteristics: bright green elliptical light

Description:

Night time; clear weather conditions.

A group of friends were sitting around a bonfire on Himatangi Beach. The observer was facing east towards the Tararua Ranges. The observer sighted a bright oval light approaching from a northwesterly direction, and when spotted, was approximately 1000 ft above the ranges, moving toward the southeast. It appeared elliptical and glowed green/turquoise while moving quickly across the sky (several seconds). No sound was evident. The light halted briefly, at which stage the observer mentioned it to her friend. The light then blinked out and was not seen again for the duration of the group’s stay there. The witness reported a general feeling of unease after the sighting, which lasted throughout the rest of the night.

Date: 30 March 2007

Time: 7:15 pm

Location: Hinds, near Ashburton, Otago, South Island

Features/characteristics: bright pulsing light

Description:

The witness was bringing the cows in for the 8 pm milking, and noticed there were a few aircraft flying around, and that a large one (such as an RNZAF C130) was flying in a southerly direction at low altitude. The witness stopped to watch, and noticed a light of sorts (it appeared to be like a large searchlight from above or in the clouds) was following the aircraft and zigzagging along behind it.

The witness rang her daughter on her cellphone and asked her if she could see it too. The daughter went outside with her brother and they both observed the light. After the plane flew across the sky, the light returned back toward the Southern Alps at great speed, stopped and paused, then moved in a triangle formation, stopped and than repeated the manoeuvre again approximately four times. The light then paused and dimmed for approximately one minute, then cycled from bright to dim repeatedly, and then moved very fast across the sky from the Southern Alps towards the ocean. The witness and her children were frightening by this sudden rapid movement. The light stopped approximately 10 km from the witness’s location, and then disappeared like a light being turned off.

Ufocus NZ Comment: On receipt of this report, the UFOCUS NZ investigator contacted the Christchurch Air Traffic Radar Control Centre to see if any unusual aircraft sightings had been reported on 30/3/07. No sightings had been reported, but at the time of the Hinds sighting there was a search and rescue exercise being run by the Christchurch Police from Friday to Sunday that weekend in the Peel Forrest / Mt Peel area, some 25km west north west of Hinds. From the information in the report as received, and speaking to the witness, there is a very high probability the lights observed and their actions were associated with the search and rescue exercise taking place at that time. The unusual speed of the light mentioned, may have been due to angular distortion of the visual presentation, or may have indeed been some other unknown light.

Date: Monday 26 March 2007

Time: 8 am

Location: Waitetuna Valley, Waikato, North Island

Features/characteristics: silent solid metallic craft

Description:

In March, the control tower at Hamilton International Airport received a UFO sighting report from a farmer in the Waitetuna Valley, Waikato region. At approximately 8am on a fine morning when the sun was just clearing the hills, a farming couple witnessed a solid metallic craft, moving up a valley on their farm. The farm is situated to the west of Hamilton in an area from which other sightings of UFOs/UAPs have also been reported over previous years.

The husband saw the craft first over the woolshed, and called to his wife to come and see it. They both watched the craft until it disappeared up the valley.

When interviewed independently by Ufocus NZ, both the farmer and his wife were specific about the size and shape of the craft, which was ‘egg-shaped’ or ‘bullet-shaped’.

The witnesses described the craft as being roughly cylindrical, the body being egg or bullet-shaped with pointed ends. It was bright metallic silver, and the wife was adamant it had several oval-shaped windows evenly spaced, although the husband did not recall if it had windows. The object had horizontal wings, but no tail.  It was not an aircraft. They commented on how bright and shiny it looked in the morning sun, and how it emitted a sound like a ‘whisper jet’. The object moved quite slowly and silently up the valley close to ground level and appeared to be following the creek water course before disappearing behind adjacent hills.

The craft was between the far hill in the photograph, which is about 1 mile from the farmhouse, and the wool shed, placing it approximately ½ mile from the witnesses. It was very large, with the husband estimating the object’s size as approximately 30 metres in length, some 6 metres in width, with semi-circular (rounded points) ends. The object was bright silver when viewed up close, and changed to a dull red as it disappeared at the end of the valley road.

The craft was clearly visible when stationary for a short time at the end of the valley road, some 1 ½ – 2 miles away from the observers. The husband has maintained an interest in the subject of ufology over many years, and was of the opinion that the reason for this sighting may be related to the many seismic fault lines that are present locally and in the immediate district. As is the case with many other reported NZ sightings, there appears to be an increase in sightings around the time of seismic and volcanic activity.

During the interview, the wife also mentioned seeing large balls of light in 2006, about ½ mile away in the valley behind the house. On one occasion, the sky was overcast and it was dusk/night; a bright light was observed below the cloud base, carrying out erratic zig-zag movements as it descended into the valley, brilliantly lighting up the valley between the wool shed and the large distant hill. One of the sightings involved the same type of light hovering in the valley, with two smaller red lights emerging from it and separately making oval patterns before merging back into the larger ball of light.

Both witnesses were clear in their sightings details. The husband is a former pilot and is very familiar with aircraft types and shapes. The couple both reported observing UFOs/UAPs in their valley over previous years and these had also been seen by neighbouring farmers, but these sightings were not reported for fear of ridicule.

The Waitetuna witness’ description of the craft bears a striking resemblance to a report from three witnesses who reported a sighting that took place at Whitianga on 16 February 2003.

Date: Friday 16 March 2007

Time: Approx. 11 pm

Location: Tauranga, North Island

Features/characteristics: large orange glowing trapezium-shaped object

Description:

There were two witnesses to this sighting, which lasted approx. 5 minutes. The sighting took place over a subdivision on the rural outskirts of Tauranga city.

A witness was seeing her friend to her car. They looked up to see a very large amber/orange glowing object moving slowly over the subdivision, heading west to east (the entire object was lit up). The witnesses described the object as ‘huge’ (bus to house sized), and moving above the treetops. As the object moved closer, the shape appeared to be rectangular, but as the object moved higher, the sides of the object appeared more at an angle. At one stage it tilted briefly and appeared to have an oval shape on the top. The witnesses observed the object as it slowly moved eastward and was lost from view in clouds towards the sea. Witness 1 considered it was a UFO, as there was no sound, and it did not have wings or resemble any known aircraft. Witness 2 (who did not believe in the existence of UFOs) preferred to believe it was a satellite or meteor(ite). However when they discussed the incident, witness 2 conceded that the object could not have been either of these.

The object was shaped (most of the time) like a trapezium. Witness 2 hoped that Air Traffic Control would be able to confirm it was an aircraft, however ATC has reported that there were no aircraft over this area at the time of the sighting.

Witness’ drawing of the object, and an artist’s impression of how it appeared.

Date: Thursday 8 March 2007

Time: Approx 10.30 pm

Location: Just south of National Park village, Central North Island 

Features/characteristics: trapezium-shaped object with bright windows

Description:

The sighting lasted at least 30 seconds and was witnessed by a hunter and a policeman. The sky was clear.

“A friend and I were out looking for feral deer with a spotlight. We decided to travel north up the railway line on the way home to National Park Village. We drove past an area where about 80 hectares was burnt in a fire May 2006. The scrub was burnt back to the dirt and swampy waterways pass through the area, although at this time, it was quite dry. As we crossed the main trunk line, my friend mentioned we had company! Looking back down the burn around what I guessed to be 80 metres, (on or near the ground) was a strange display of lights: 4 very bright red/orange lights (like embers) evenly spaced, and a larger single yellowish light below. My friend said it must be a vehicle. I know this area well (rugged), and said nobody in a vehicle would even consider entering the area! He then said it must be a fire, because the lights were glowing like embers. I said it wasn’t a fire, and thought maybe it was a tent with lights inside it. So to end this debate, I jumped out of the Hilux to put the spotlight on this unknown object (the spotlight unplugged as I exited the Hilux). It then just took off and made an extremely swift exit in a southerly direction at very low altitude, with no noise, and then the lights just vanished!

The next day we went back to the location and had a search, but couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary in the area where this object was stationary. It was in a little dip obscured from view from nearby National Park Village homes. 100m south west of where the object had been is a railway power substation, and National Park Village is about 500m north of the area. I keep going over and over what we saw, but can’t make any sense of it. My friend thought people would think we were mad if we reported it. I don’t know if it is connected, but I have had a dry throat since. This is the second time in my life I have seen something unexplainable.”

When interviewed, the witness commented that they should have been able to see the object, or at least the lights, as they approached the railway lines, however it was not visible. It is possible that the lights came on just prior to the craft taking off.

Ufocus NZ comment: Note the similarity to the object reported on March 16. Both are trapezium shaped (a shape rarely reported), and had glowing orange light(s).  As is the case with some New Zealand UFO sightings, these objects were sighted around the time of considerable seismic and volcanic activity, particularly in the central North Is. (Mt Ruapehu lahar, White Is. activity, Mt Ngauruhoe rumbles into life after 30 years, Auckland rocked by Hauraki Gulf earthquakes, etc)