New Zealand

New Zealand Wild Night Lights Mystery
Press Co, December 30, 1999

UFO fever is threatening to break out after a rash of calls to police about fast-moving, coloured lights in the sky north of the city. Police received six calls over two hours from several different areas north of Auckland on Saturday night but have been unable to explain the lights. One caller said the lights moved 400 metres in less than two seconds while two others said they moved up and down in the sky very fast. Inspector Barry Smalley of the police northern communications centre said there was something in the sky but no-one knew quite what. "There's something there. Because of the path it was travelling it may have been something coming through the atmosphere. "It's another mystery. We'll have to get Mulder and Scully (from the television show, The X-Files) on to it." The first call to police was at 9.38pm, 20 minutes after the first sighting from Raglan of what appeared to be a green flare when looking in the direction of Auckland. The flare died before it hit the sea. Further reports had the lights moving north. The last sighting was about 11.36pm from Tinopai, in Northland, where resident reported "huge lights" over the hills due north. The lights were reported to have moved about 400 metres in two seconds. Two more strange lights were reported "going straight up and down sky, intensely light and intensely red" looking across the Kaipara Harbour. The lights were reported to be dancing about in the sky.