(April 6, 2010) Gold Coast Bulletin News reported that the area has the second highest number of sightings of unidentified flying objects in a year; ranking second to Brisbane in UFO Research Queensland's (URQ) records. From October 2008 to September 2009, the Gold Coast tallied 25 sightings out of URQ's total of 123 while Brisbane had 28.
UFO reports were previously archived by the Australian Air Force; a task they've discontinued in the 1990s. Local police and civilian groups were left to report UFO sightings which ranged from strange lights to mysterious-looking crafts. Sheryl Gottschall, president of URQ, suggested that the Gold Coast's geography and status as a tourist spot make it a likely place for UFO sightings.
The latest UFO witnesses were Pat Gatward and her husband John who saw four orange lights in the sky at around 6:20 PM. Mrs. Gatward said the lights weren't fireworks and she was not sure whether or not they were of extraterrestrial origin.