Stuff They Don't Want You To Know The Mystery of New Zealand's Kaikōura Lights
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Sep 19, 2025 In December 1978, New Zealand's Kaikōura mountain ranges became a hotspot for mysterious glowing objects that fascinated pilots and onlookers alike. Multiple confirmed sightings raised questions that still puzzle experts today. Various explanations, from squid boats to planets, were offered, yet many pilots dismissed these as insufficient. As the narrative unfolds, expert analysis and Cold War dynamics add layers to the mystery. Each year, locals still gaze at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive Kaikōura Lights once more.
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Pilots Spot Multiple Orb-Like Lights
- Pilots Ian Uffendell and others reported three glowing objects tracking their plane and making controlled movements at night over Kaikōura in December 1978.
- These aviators described varied sizes and pulsing red/orange and white lights that appeared and disappeared while following their aircraft.
Radar-Visual Convergence Raises Credibility
- Kaikōura stands out because sightings combined pilot testimony, multiple witnesses on the ground, and radar returns from air traffic control.
- That rare radar-visual convergence makes the case unusually well-instrumented compared with typical UFO reports.
News Crew Captures Lights On Film
- Journalist Quentin Fogarty and cameraman David Crockett filmed pulsating pinprick lights during a December 30, 1978 return flight between Wellington and Christchurch.
- The crew reported orbs following their Argosy, one trailing them through landing and reappearing on the subsequent takeoff for another 15 minutes.