New Zealand UFO files released

The Air Force has released thousands of top secret papers collected about apparent UFO sightings in New Zealand.

There are more than 2000 pages of material that date back to the 1950s. They document files of correspondence on apparent sightings from 1952 to 2009.

The papers have been held by Archives New Zealand, which was set to make them available in February this year after requests from the public. They were originally supposed to be held until 2080.

The Defense Force said it needed to remove personal identification from the files in order to comply with the Privacy Act, and has now done that, deleting all names of military personnel.

Communications about sightings began in 1952 when they were described as UFOs - unidentified flying objects. Later they were called UAS - unidentified aerial sightings.

The files contain reports by sightings of private individuals and military personnel, investigations by Defence and other departments and agencies into these reports, newspaper clippings on UFOs and letters from individuals who claim to be in touch with alien beings and craft.

The redacted files are only in hard copy. They include communications about New Zealand's most famous footage, filmed 32 years ago - the mysterious lights near the Kaikoura Coast that were filmed by a TVNZ camera crew.

Papers show that investigators believe squid boat, atmospheric conditions and a possible meteor could have been behind the lights.

UFOCUS Director Suzanne Hansen, who has been investigating UFOs for more than 35 years, has been campaigning for the documents' release.

She said it was a step towards openness on the topic of UFOs. Hansen expects there will be some information on the Kaikoura lights sightings in the late 1970s.

She said she had witnessed numerous "sightings" in her life.

source: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/new-zealand-ufo-files-released-3982133