In the quiet town of Kanta Berlin, New South Wales, an extraordinary event disrupted the peaceful routine of December 1954. With a population of just under 3,500 residents, this small settlement along the Lockland River rarely made headlines until Mrs. M. Lewis reported a close encounter on her back step one Friday evening. While enjoying a cigarette under the moonlit sky, she witnessed a hovering saucer-like craft with an aluminum appearance suspended about fifteen feet above the ground, emanating an eerie blue-green light.

The encounter became more remarkable when Mrs. Lewis observed a small figure with broad shoulders wearing some type of headgear watching her from inside the craft. In a moment of unexpected courage, she waved at the figure and gestured for it to land. The being responded by extending its arm and waving sideways several times before the craft turned and departed toward the nearby golf course, leaving Mrs. Lewis convinced she had experienced contact with a visitor from another world.

Key Takeaways

A woman in a small Australian town experienced a close encounter with an unidentified craft containing a small figure that responded to her gestures.
Unexplained disappearances of hitchhikers have occurred in rural areas, leaving witnesses puzzled by their sudden vanishing.
Personal accounts of strange encounters often include unusual details that defy conventional explanation, such as the exchange of physical objects or sharing meals with mysterious visitors.

Kanta Berlin: A Small Town Encounter

Kanta Berlin sits quietly along the Lockland River in New South Wales, Australia. With just 3,486 residents, this small community rarely makes headlines, but in December 1954, it became the setting for an extraordinary event.

Mrs. M. Lewis experienced something truly unusual on the evening of December 10, 1954. Around 10:00 p.m., she stepped outside for a cigarette on what was a clear, moonlit night. While sitting there, she noticed a strange blue-green light surrounding her.

Looking up to find the source, Mrs. Lewis was stunned to see a saucer-shaped craft hovering approximately fifteen feet above the ground, just fifty feet away. The object had a metallic, aluminum-like appearance and emitted an eerie glow.

"I was amazed and frightened," she later told the Condobolin Locke Lander newspaper. Her first instinct was to run inside and lock the door, but curiosity overcame her fear.

As she observed the craft, Mrs. Lewis noticed a small figure inside. The entity appeared no larger than a child but had unusually broad shoulders and wore some type of headgear. Its features were difficult to discern through the craft's bluish interior light.

In a moment of unexpected courage, Mrs. Lewis waved at the figure and gestured toward the ground, inviting it to land. The figure responded by extending its arm and waving sideways several times.

The craft made a soft purring noise throughout the encounter. After the exchange of gestures, the interior light seemed to withdraw into the dome, and the object slowly rotated before gliding away toward the nearby golf course.

Mrs. Lewis noted the craft had a "sleek tapered tail" and described it as "strangely beautiful, streamlined and shining like glass." So captivated was she by the sight that her cigarette burned down to her fingers without her noticing.

Shaken by the experience, she took headache medication and went to bed without telling her husband. Two days passed before she shared her story with him, fearing disbelief. After a week of consideration, she decided to contact the local newspaper.

"There's no doubt in my mind that this was a visit from another planet," she stated firmly. Following the encounter, Mrs. Lewis began a nightly ritual of checking her veranda, hoping the visitor might return, preferably with witnesses present.

The strange visitor and its gleaming craft, however, have never reappeared over Kanta Berlin.

Mrs. Lewis's Strange Alien Encounter

First Contact with the Mysterious Craft

On the evening of December 10, 1954, Mrs. M. Lewis experienced an extraordinary event in the small town of Kanta Berlin, New South Wales. Around 10:00 p.m., she stepped outside for a cigarette on what appeared to be a peaceful, moonlit night. While looking down, she noticed her surroundings suddenly bathed in an unusual blue-green light. Initially thinking someone was pointing a flashlight at her, she looked up to discover something far more remarkable.

Hovering approximately 50 feet away and suspended about 15 feet above the ground was what she described as a saucer-shaped machine with an aluminum-like finish. Mrs. Lewis recalled her immediate reaction: "I was amazed and frightened and my first impulse was to run into the house and lock myself in." Though she turned to flee, curiosity overcame her fear, and she decided to stay and observe the strange craft.

The Being Behind the Window

As Mrs. Lewis observed the hovering object, she noticed a small figure inside the craft watching her. She described the entity as being no larger than a child but with notably broad shoulders. The figure wore some type of headgear, though the bluish light inside the craft made it difficult for her to distinguish its facial features clearly.

The being seemed to regard Mrs. Lewis with great curiosity, maintaining a steady gaze through what appeared to be a central window in the craft. Despite her fear—she later described herself as "quivering like a leaf"—Mrs. Lewis felt compelled to interact with the visitor.

The Exchange and Departure

In a moment of unexpected boldness, Mrs. Lewis waved at the figure and gestured toward the ground, essentially inviting the craft to land. "I don't know what made me do it," she later explained to the Condobolin Lockland newspaper. The figure did not descend but responded by extending its arm and waving in a sideways motion several times.

Throughout the encounter, Mrs. Lewis noted a soft purring sound similar to an engine running. After the figure's gesture, the craft's light seemed to retract into the dome. The saucer then rotated slowly and moved leisurely in the direction of a nearby golf course. Mrs. Lewis observed that the departing craft had "a sleek tapered tail" and described it as "strangely beautiful, streamlined and shining like glass."

Following this extraordinary encounter, Mrs. Lewis took headache medication and went to bed without immediately telling anyone, including her husband, fearing disbelief. She eventually shared her story with the local newspaper, firmly convinced that what she had witnessed was "a visit from another planet." In the evenings after this encounter, she would return to her veranda, hoping for the visitor's return.

The Aftermath in Kanta Berlin

Mrs. M. Lewis's extraordinary encounter in December 1954 left a lasting impression on the small town of Kanta Berlin. After witnessing the saucer-shaped craft and its occupant, she initially kept the experience to herself. For two days, she told no one—not even her husband—fearing disbelief and ridicule.

Eventually, Mrs. Lewis decided the significance of her sighting outweighed her concerns about public perception. She contacted the Condobolin Lockland newspaper, convinced that what she had seen was extraterrestrial in nature. "There's no doubt in my mind that this was a visit from another planet," she stated firmly.

The encounter changed her nightly routine. Each evening after the incident, Mrs. Lewis would return to her veranda, scanning the night sky for any sign of the mysterious craft's return. Despite her vigilance, the gleaming object with its bluish light and "sleek tapered tail" never reappeared.

The physical evidence of her experience was minimal but telling—her cigarette had burned down to her fingers during those minutes of transfixed observation. This detail added credibility to her account of time passing while she stood motionless, watching the craft.

Mrs. Lewis expressed hope that if the visitor ever returned, she would have someone with her to witness it. Her story remains one of the most unusual incidents in the town's history, standing out among Australia's documented UFO encounters of the 1950s.

Personal Experiences with Unusual Encounters

Stories of Ghostly Travelers

Phantom hitchhikers have been reported worldwide, with witnesses describing eerily similar encounters. These mysterious figures often appear along roadsides, accept rides, and vanish without explanation. One particularly compelling account comes from North Carolina in 1957, involving a family's encounter with a peculiar couple.

The family was traveling between Reidsville and Greensboro when they noticed an elderly couple walking along the roadside. Strangely, hours later when returning home, the same couple appeared in the identical location, having made no apparent progress in their journey. The family offered them a ride to the Greensboro bus station.

The couple, who introduced themselves as the Bradleys, were noticeably underdressed for the winter weather. The woman wore a summer dress and sandals, while the man was clad in a shirt, overalls, and a brimmed hat. One detail that stood out was the man's striking blue eyes. He gave the young daughter of the family a red Coca-Cola pencil during the ride.

The Unexplained Vanishing

The family's encounter with the Bradleys took an unusual turn when they invited the couple home for lunch before continuing to Greensboro. Concerned about their inappropriate clothing for winter conditions, the family provided them with:

Warmer coats
Proper shoes for the woman
Packed sandwiches and snacks for their journey

During the drive to Greensboro, the Bradleys insisted on being dropped off at a specific bridge on old US Highway 29. Despite the family's protests about the unlikelihood of getting another ride as darkness approached, the couple was adamant.

When the car stopped at the bridge, the Bradleys stepped out and immediately vanished, leaving the car door open. The family's father jumped out, searching frantically for any sign of them. The surrounding area was open and clear, offering no place for the couple to hide or disappear from view.

The family drove up and down the road searching for the Bradleys but found no trace. What makes this case particularly perplexing is that the couple had spent hours with the family and consumed food. Even more mysterious, the warm clothing and packed sandwiches disappeared with them, suggesting they were physical beings rather than apparitions.

This unexplained encounter left a lasting impression on the young daughter, who recalled the incident vividly throughout her life. The case remains one of the more puzzling examples of mysterious travelers who defy conventional explanation.

Condobolin UFO Sighting 1954: The Bradley Family's Alien Encounter in NSW