New Zealand’s Famous UFO Film

On December 21 and 31, 1978, an Australian film crew aboard a cargo aircraft filmed mysterious lights over New Zealand’s Kaikoura coast. With radar confirmation and clear footage, the case became one of the best-documented UFO incidents.

The Flights

Two separate incidents:

• December 21, 1978
• December 31, 1978
• Argosy cargo aircraft
• Newspaper assignment
• Film crew aboard

The Purpose

Australian Channel 0:

• Sent film crew
• Following earlier sightings
• To document lights
• They succeeded
• Beyond expectations

The Film Crew

Quentin Fogarty:

• TV reporter
• With cameraman
• Recording equipment
• Professional documentation
• Key witness

The Lights

What they filmed:

• Bright objects
• Multiple lights
• Following aircraft
• Changing position
• Clear footage

Radar Confirmation

Wellington radar:

• Tracked objects
• Near aircraft
• Multiple returns
• Independent confirmation
• Official documentation

The Captain

Bill Startup:

• Experienced pilot
• Saw the lights
• Cooperated with investigation
• Credible witness
• Detailed account

The Footage

Film showed:

• Bright spherical lights
• Moving intelligently
• Different configurations
• Several minutes
• Clear images

Global Broadcast

Footage aired:

• Worldwide
• Major news story
• International attention
• Analysis demanded
• Famous case

Scientific Analysis

Experts examined:

• Film studied
• Various explanations proposed
• Venus
• Squid boats
• None fully satisfactory

Dr. Bruce Maccabee

UFO researcher:

• Analyzed footage
• Optical physicist
• Found genuine anomaly
• Supported authenticity
• Detailed study

The Skeptical View

Explanations proposed:

• Venus and Jupiter
• Fishing boat lights
• Atmospheric effects
• But radar returns?
• Incomplete explanation

Duration of Sightings

Both flights:

• Extended observation
• Multiple witnesses
• Radar correlation
• Film documentation
• Compelling evidence

Significance

One of the few UFO cases with film footage, pilot witnesses, and simultaneous radar confirmation.

Legacy

The Kaikoura Lights remain significant for the rare combination of visual documentation, trained observers, and radar data all supporting an unexplained phenomenon.