She seemed trim, together and still beautiful. But then she hit me with the clanger – ‘I’m actually in my mid-70s. How did I get so old? It just happened. I lost six years of my life.’

‘It was my mother,’ she said. ‘She went into high care and lived until she was 96. I lost the years, visiting daily, spoon-feeding her meals, and staying on top of her myriad medical issues. Then before I knew it I too was getting on in years.’

Women are often viewed as ‘incomplete’ if they are single. Or lonely. And some women are. Our friends panic and scramble desperately to set us up with the first single person that comes to mind. But for others, a divorce or separation leaves us uninspired to jump on the dating after fifty merry-go-round. Tamera Grieshaber discovered that contrary to popular belief, she didn’t need a ‘special someone’ to be happy — and wants other women over fifty to realise we are each ourselves at the core of our own happiness.

Travel is the only thing one can buy that brings happiness, or so the saying goes. So why do so many women let a relationship status or difference of opinion on where to go, ruin their plans? If your friends don’t share your travel dream, why not make some new ones?

When my brother set off for his backpacking adventure in the 80s I was at Melbourne airport, blubbering. His friends thought I was going to miss him. But no. I was howling because he was going, and not me.

Decades on and history had repeated itself. This time I was seeing off my 18-year-old son. He was off for the summer, backpacking through Europe. My concern for him was stabbed with feelings of jealousy. Why did the males in the family have all the adventures? What about me? When would I ever get to travel solo?

When we meet fashion designer Andrea Nicholson she is pinning up a toile, a calico prototype of a Japanese inspired Aragato Duster Jacket. She talks to us about how she is revisiting some earlier influences, of Japanese costumery prevalent in the Kabuki theatre, and the work of Kenzo Takada during the 60s and 70s.