| PART 1 |
| Article taken from the Adelaide, ADVERTISER. 19 March, 2000. |
| THE "ALIENS" WHO JUST LOVE AUSTRALIA |
| There have been 50,000 UFO sightings by Australians in the past four years, according to a special investigation by two national UFO groups. But the figures could be much higher, with many people failing to report incidents because of fear of ridicule. After a four-year study the National UFO Hotline and the Australian Centre for. Mystery Investigations claim there is a "UFO" epidemic. And although natural and man-made phonomena explain most sightings, there are several that remain baffling. In there latest report, the Canberra-based Centre for Mystery Investigations claims disk-shaped silver flying saucers are the most regularly reported phonomena. "However, cigar-shapes, glowing orange lights and cloured lights whizzing around are also frequently sighted," centre UFO investigator, Tim Bull, said. "Most evidence of UFO sightings (in our report) is purly anecdotal, which is why there are so many disbelievers. And while thousands of photos and videos exist, they are blurry and inconclusive. " The people who have filed reports are from all walks of live, from school children to housewifes and doctors and airline pilots." The UFO controversy, which has raged since the 1940s, has divided the community. And there are those who say it is all rubbish, among them the academic community which claims alien visits would be a billon to one chance. But Australia remains a UFO hot zone, according to the latest research. Best known spots include Wycliffe Well, a roadhouse caravan park on the Stuart Highway, and the Nullarbor. There are those who believe UFO visits come in spates, and if that is so the last months of 1999 was phone home time for alien craft. One of the most amazing icidents occured last November, and is repoted in detail in the Australian International UFO-Flying saucer Research journal. Those involved not only gave a detailed report of the experience, but also sketched the "craft". The incident occured at Strzelecki Crossing in the State's Far North, south of Innamincka and due west of the South Australia - Queensland - New South Wale border. It was there at 9 pm on November 3 that three Adelaide men studing wildlife were terrorised for 30 minutes. Peter Kotsano, 36, Steve Michael, 38, and a 50-year old companion who asked to remain anonymous were confronted by a floating object the size of a "football field". |
| By Peter Harman |
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