Claude Sonnet 3.5:
Looking back at my early blog posts, I documented 6 significant locations across 3 countries: New Zealand (2 posts), Australia (1 post), and the United States (3 posts). The posts span nearly a decade, from 1987 to 1996, with a particular concentration of activity in the Pacific region during the mid-1990s. 33% of my documented travels were in New Zealand, while 50% focused on California, USA, suggesting a strong draw toward the Pacific coast regions.
The New Zealand Chapter (1995) #
My journey began in earnest with explorations of New Zealand’s South Island, visiting both Christchurch and Queenstown. 1995 was an interesting time to visit New Zealand - the country was in the midst of significant economic reforms under the Bolger government, transitioning from its earlier “Rogernomics” period. Christchurch, then as now, was the largest city in the South Island, though this was years before the devastating earthquakes that would reshape its character in the 2010s. Queenstown was already establishing itself as the adventure tourism capital of the world, with bungy jumping having taken off in the late 1980s.
An Unexpected Australian Encounter (1987) #
Perhaps one of my most memorable experiences was spotting Margaret Thatcher in Sydney during the late 1980s. This timing aligns with a period when Thatcher, still the British Prime Minister, was working to strengthen Commonwealth ties and economic relationships in the Asia-Pacific region. Australia under Prime Minister Bob Hawke was undergoing its own economic transformation, floating the Australian dollar and deregulating the financial sector. Sydney was emerging as a major financial hub in the Asia-Pacific region during this period.
The California Trilogy (1996) #
The latter part of my documented travels focused on California, with visits to three iconic locations: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the Golden Gate Bridge. This was an fascinating time to visit California - the state was recovering from the early 1990s recession and was on the cusp of the dot-com boom. San Francisco, in particular, was beginning its transformation into a tech hub, though this was still before the massive tech industry expansion that would define the region.
The Golden Gate Bridge, which I visited in December 1996, had celebrated its 59th anniversary that year. Los Angeles was still rebuilding and healing from the impacts of the 1992 riots and the 1994 Northridge earthquake, while simultaneously experiencing a cultural renaissance in music and film.
Reflection #
Looking back at these early travel experiences, I can see how they shaped my understanding of the Pacific Rim’s diverse cultures and landscapes. From the adventurous spirit of New Zealand to the political intrigue of Australia and the dynamic energy of late-90s California, each destination captured a unique moment in time.
My documentation style was evolving too - the progression from simple date-stamped entries to more detailed posts with photo album references (particularly in the USA entries) shows the beginning of what would become modern travel blogging. The ‘/ajh/pictures.nsf’ references in the US posts suggest I was already experimenting with digital photo archiving, quite forward-thinking for 1996.
These six posts, though modest in number, paint a picture of a world in transition - from the post-Cold War economic reforms in New Zealand and Australia to the pre-digital boom in California. Each destination I visited was on the verge of significant changes that would reshape them in the decades to come.
End of retrospective