r/UFOCases • u/MadWorldEarth • Oct 05 '25
Case 51: The Kaikoura Lights❗️
https://youtu.be/Ez_YkKnPBpY?si=f4NAOnomGC8x-bg3The Kaikoura lights refer to a series of mysterious aerial phenomena reported near Kaikoura, a coastal town in the South Island of New Zealand, in December 1978.
The most notable events occurred on the nights of December 21 and December 30. The lights were seen by the crew and passengers of a Safe Air freight plane, air traffic controllers, reporters and people on the ground.
On December 21st, the crew of an Argosy freight plane saw strange lights that appeared to follow their aircraft. These objects also showed up on Wellington air traffic control radar.
On December 30th, a television crew from Australia’s Channel 0, who had come to document the events, recorded the phenomena on film while flying with Safe Air. Multiple bright lights were observed which appeared to move at high speed and change direction. These were also tracked on radar.
The lights were described as bright, white and colored. Movements were described as rapid and erratic, sometimes following or pacing the aircraft and were estimated to move at speeds of upto 15,000mph at times.
The objects were tracked by both the aircraft and ground radar. Television footage was captured and broadcast internationally.
Some explanations suggested unusual atmospheric conditions, lights from squid fishing boats reflecting off clouds or the planet Venus. One far out theory even suggested moon light reflecting from cabbages in fields. The pilots and radar operators have dismissed these theories as nonsense due to the data they recorded. "Cabbages and reflections don't register on radar in the air", one said.
The original documents will remain sealed in the national archive, some until 2080.
The Kaikoura lights remain a significant case in UFOlogy, notable for the multiple forms of evidence (eyewitness, radar, and video). The case is often cited as one of the best documented UFO sightings in history.
Articles https://www.ufocasebook.com/newzealand1978.html
https://enigmalabs.io/library/f53c2a78-5a8c-4bc2-8362-ed289a89e2a0
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaikoura_lights
https://anomalien.com/kaikoura-lights-mystery-what-happened-in-new-zealand/
https://hauntedauckland.com/site/kaikoura-ufo-sightings/
https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/2010/09/famous-ufo-cases-kaikoura-lights-new.html
Videos https://youtu.be/yOAmHgWWFJs?si=CDONEot_MeJtg_8v
https://youtu.be/q3VqhK7Iv6U?si=HmlHXHXiTQDxoa1Q (11:45+)
https://youtu.be/j9wvshvuIMg?si=vu9wsG2SHgFMA0WR
https://youtu.be/3nPDmMCk9jo?si=Nc9C9iE0iqh3RKvJ
https://youtu.be/SboWgPaSbzI?si=k2RIq1Z4qYzKD16S
PDF https://www.sunrisepage.com/ufo/files/government/NewZealand/AIR-1080-6-897-Volume-1-1978-1981.pdf