{"type":"locations","slug":"kaikoura","title":"Kaikoura","url":"https://disclosdex.com/locations/kaikoura","description":"New Zealand coastal town where 1978 airborne film of lights sparked international UFO publicity","date":"1978-12-31T00:00:00.000Z","tags":["Hotspot"],"updated":"2025-06-13T13:26:43.000Z","lat":-42.4006,"lng":173.6811,"connectionCount":3,"content":{"markdown":"## Coastal Encounters\n\nIn December 1978, a television crew filmed strange lights tracking their aircraft near Kaikoura. Air traffic controllers and radar confirmed targets moving alongside the plane.[^1][^2] The footage received global attention and remains unexplained.[^3][^4][^5]\nSee the [Kaikoura lights](/events/1978-kaikoura-lights) event file for the full case history.\n\n\n[^1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaikoura_lights\n[^2]: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81-00261r000500040001-0\n[^3]: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/448174/govt-officials-couldn-t-explain-kaikoura-lights-ufo-sightings-documents-show\n[^4]: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7595611/kaikoura-ufo-mystery-lingers\n[^5]: https://christchurch.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S37C704802","readingTime":"1 min read"},"relatedRecords":[{"ref":{"type":"events","slug":"1978-kaikoura-lights","title":"Kaikoura Lights","url":"https://disclosdex.com/events/1978-kaikoura-lights"},"direction":"mutual","weight":2},{"ref":{"type":"events","slug":"1978-new-zealand-ufo-wave","title":"New Zealand UFO Wave","url":"https://disclosdex.com/events/1978-new-zealand-ufo-wave"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1}],"citation":{"canonicalUrl":"https://disclosdex.com/locations/kaikoura","title":"Kaikoura","publisher":"Disclosdex","retrievedFrom":"https://disclosdex.com/api/v1/locations/kaikoura","license":"CC-BY-4.0"},"continent":"Oceania"}