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A compilation tape featuring four different subjects.
1. A compilation of news coverage from undated Morning Report programmes during the early January 1979. They cover reaction to the UFO sightings over the Clarence River near Kaikoura on 21 December 1978 and the film footage recorded on 30 Dec 1978 from a Safe Air Freight flight between Blenheim and Christchurch.
[On the morning of Sunday 30th December 1978 a UFO was sighted and filmed over the Clarence River by a television crew aboard a Safe Air Argosy plane. Film shown on television caused tremendous excitement throughout New Zealand and worldwide. An RNZAF Orion was sent out on the night of 02 Jan 1979 to check for any further visual or radar sightings without clear results, as reported radar contacts vanished before plane could reach their position. The planet Venus, squid boats, ball lightning meteorites and space debris are all offered and variously discounted as explanations.]
The first recording is from the Morning Report programme broadcast the day after the Orion flight [possibly 03 Jan 1979?]
Dave Ward - Wellington air traffic controller is heard watching unusual 'blips' on his radar screen.
Roger Hanford - NZBC reporter, is interviewed by Geoff Robinson. He says over 50 strange 'blips' appeared on the radar during the night but they moved before the Orion aircraft could reach their position.
Roger interviews Dave Ward who says some of the radar results seemed to be due to strong clear- air turbulence but that shouldn't register on radar usually. Roger says a bright light out to sea off Invercargill was also reported.
The film shot on 30 Dec for Melbourne television Channel Seven is being studied in the United States. Chris Rand reports from USA on what will happen to film of the sighting.
Wayne Brittenden reports from Tokyo about Japanese reaction to the Kaikoura film footage and a local woman who claims she communicate with UFOs.
Captain Bill Startup, the captain of Safe Air flight which took film of the UFO, comments on television screening of the film. He is interviewed via telephone by Di Billing about film which screened on television the previous night. He says some of the Channel Seven footage was out of sequence but he still feels strongly that the lights he saw were neither Jupiter or Venus.
[Items from a different Morning Report programme]
In Auckland, Sandringham residents reported seeing something in the sky last night as a 'ball of light with rays that moved fast'. Other reports came in from other parts of Auckland and Tauranga. Reporter Jan Aveson [?] interviews several eye witnesses from Sandringham and reports on what she saw herself.
Massive worldwide reaction to the Kaikoura sightings is finally abating. The presence of 'objects' on radar has been a major factor in the excitement over the sightings. A telephone interview by Geoff Robinson with Robert Unwin of the DSIR in Christchurch, an expert on the ionosphere. He says some weather conditions in the ionosphere can affect things such as television transmissions but they couldn't account for the radar 'sightings' of the last few days.
An interview with David Crockett, the Wellington film cameraman who filmed the UFOs from the Safe Air Argosy, discounts the possibility that the object was the planet Venus. He has filmed the planet in the past few days to try and replicate what he filmed from the plane and there was no similarity.
UFO sightings are nothing new in New Zealand. Jim Sullivan recreates the drama surrounding a 1909 UFO sightings - 'the great airship mystery' in Dunedin. Sightings of unusual objects in the sky were reported and discounted as 'airship experiments.'
Allanah James reports that Lincoln University scientist, Dr Neil Cherry, says the UFO sightings were caused by a 'reverse mirage effect' - 'refraction' of fishing boats lights up into the sky. Certain weather conditions are necessary for this situation to occur.
A report by Roger Hanford that the Royal New Zealand Air Force has concluded its investigation of the UFO film. The DSIR is not interested in doing extensive tests to establish the 'cause' of the UFO and has settled on 'radar anomalies' and an 'out-of-focus film of Venus' as an explanation.
2. An interview with Timothy White, producer of the New Zealand film, ‘A State of Siege' which is showing at the London Film Festival He also talks about the film "Sleeping Dogs", the costs involved in making New Zealand films and why appearing in international festivals is important. Recorded in 1978.
3. American jazz musician, George Shearing, recalls an incident in his career involving fifteen blind musicians. Recorded in 1978.
4. Canine behaviour expert Barbara Woodhouse, talks about her work with neurotic dogs. Recorded in 1978.