Rotorua UFO
© Craig BairdUnidentified Flying Object: Craig Baird described what he saw as a really bright light leaving an orange jet stream.

Rotorua's Craig Baird reckons he has seen a possible UFO over Waikite Valley.

Mr Baird took photos of an unidentified flying object on Thursday morning from his Mountain Rd home. His 2-year-old daughter Ashlee saw it first and thought it was a storm.

He said whatever it was seemed to take off from somewhere in the Waikite ranges or further away between 6.30am and 6.45am.

"We were looking at it for about five minutes going up into the sky, going straight up."

Mr Baird said the "thing" seemed to stop and hover for about two minutes when it reached the clouds.

"That's what freaked me out the most," he said. He ran to get his camera and got a few shots before it sped off.

"It shot off so fast to the right side."

He described what he saw as a really bright light leaving an orange jet stream across the sky.

"I don't know what it could have been. It couldn't have been a plane and it couldn't have been a meteor - it was going the wrong direction."

He doubted it could be something to do with the military, because it was going too fast and seemed to be heading for space.

But he was excited to see it.

"I thought 'look my first UFO'."

Local Tim Klomp also saw something on Thursday morning.

He said as he was driving to work along Te Ngae Rd, he saw a strange cloud towards Reporoa at about 7.15am or 7.20am.

"I saw a cloud that went straight up in the air."

He thought it could have been a vapour trail.

Rotorua Astronomical Society president Ken Blackman had a look at Mr Baird's photos and said he did not know what it could be.

"It's very strange, I have no idea."

He said he would present the photos at his society's next meeting on Wednesday.

Do you think you know what it is Mr Baird photographed? Call Imogen Crispe on (07) 348 6199 ext 57032 or email news@dailypost.co.nz.