The Alien. New Zealand

Date: Monday 3 November 2008 

Time: Early evening, just on twilight

Location: Clarence River mouth, Lower Marlborough, South Island

Features/characteristics: two child-like figures; large bright light leaves ground at speed

Description:

A man and his wife had been to Nelson and Blenheim in a camper van and had decided to spend the night by the Clarence River and lower Marlborough. While the wife prepared an evening meal, the man went for a walk down the path near the river.  It was just on twilight with two or three stars visible and a few clouds.

“ After walking about 200 metres I entered an area of bushes and trees and was surprised to see what I thought were two small children about 50 metres in front of me, who quickly crossed the path and entered some bushes that lead down towards the river. Suddenly a bright light, somewhere down where the children had run to, took off like a bullet into the air at an angle and disappeared into the twilight sky in what must have been less than a second. Whatever it was, it traveled at the speed of a tracer bullet. There was a slight swishing sound and the trees and bushes rustled briefly. I would estimate the light, which was yellowish, to be 10 to 15 feet in diameter.
This shook me up a bit and the adrenalin was pumping. I turned and made my way back to the camper van and told my wife what I had seen. We both decided to spend the night elsewhere.

We parked up five or 6 km down the main road and discussed the event for some time before retiring. The next morning, we discussed the subject again for a while before deciding to drop it. We actually discussed it again when we reached Kaikoura, because of the things that were seen in the sky from there, some years ago.

I have no idea what it was I saw that evening, but it may be significant that it was only a couple of days before Guy Fawkes. I refuse to believe that I saw some sort of a spaceship. Those sorts of things belong in the Hollywood movies. There has to be some explanation, and I am hoping that you good people can give me one.”

Ufocus NZ comment: some considerable discussion took place over E-mail between this observer and  Ufocus NZ.  His description did fit the characteristics of common possible causes of the light such as: a helicopter, ball lightning, meteor, missile, laser, or a spotlight. Nor would fireworks fit his description of a sphere of light some 10 to 15 feet in diameter, moving at exceptional speed into the sky and disappearing, and causing the trees and bushes to rustle.

We asked a series of investigative questions pertaining to: the light, the children, their safety, occupants of any other cars, caravans or houses in the area, and why the observer chose not to check whether the children were alright, and where/what he thought this light may have originated from.

The observer did not answer our questions, and felt he was comfortable believing he had observed a laser (although he himself pointed out that laser beams are generally pencil thin, and we questioned what somebody would be doing in such a remote area, with a laser capable of forming a 10-15ft wide, bright, fast moving sphere of light could disappear into the distance in the night sky).

It was clear to us that this observer had been severely shaken by this event. He could find no logical explanation for it, however, he expected us to do so. He could not accept that our finding could be ‘unexplained’ or ‘unidentified’.

Finally, we also suggested a possible scenario to this event, based on international UFO research and sighting reports, that he may have experienced a ‘close encounter’, however he did not wish to consider that possibility.