The distinctive architecture of Wellington, New Zealand

Words by Ken Hickson. Photos by Ken and M Hickson

(March 13, 2026) Down Memory Lane – or DML - should be a travel category on its own or even in conjunction with VFR – Visiting Friends & Relatives. 

I believe strongly that Travel is a Tonic and maybe more important for the mental and physical health of seniors than multiple medicines, supplements, and/or doctor visits. 

Memorable meeting of the minds - Phil and M in Sydney (left) M and Donna Lloyd (M's brother's partner) in 'home' territory, Hickson House, The Rocks, Sydney (Right) 

Travelling internationally and within Australia has kept my wife M and me in the best of shape for a long time, even though we are now both octogenarians. And if we do find we are  showing signs of “losing our marbles,” the best antidote is a trip Down Memory Lane. 

What a boost it was to our Healthy Longevity and Active Ageing when we embarked on our first tranche of overseas travel in November/December 2023 - after five years of hibernation - largely grounded in Singapore during the COVID years, along with business demands. 

Our month-long trip covering Australia, New Zealand and Fiji is reported as “The Art of Travel” over six pages in Asian Journeys magazine: 01-Feb-24 - Singapore - 1,

The Down Memory Lane component of the trip was mostly evident from our visit to Sumner Beach, Christchurch, New Zealand. This was where I met M for the first time - in March 1979 - and where we married four years later. 

It was also where, together, we produced Villa magazine, which included many notable houses and gardens of the city and suburbs, as well as my travel and book reviews.

In the same issue of Asian Journeys magazine was my very first Travellers’ Tales column/page. It was mostly about books: “to read on the road, at sea or in the air, or even to take your mind on a journey!”

Many subsequent issues of the magazine have not only carried this column but also announced that I had started Travellers’ Tales as a discussion group in the Brisbane Bayside suburb of Wynnum, with people – mostly seniors – keen to listen to fellow travellers or share stories of their own.

I have organised 14 of these Travellers’ Tales gatherings to date. More than 20 people – mostly members of Wynnum 60 and Better club - attended our most recent event on 4th March. 

Brisbane Airport’s Peter Doherty told us about at his hiking trips and gave those in attendance a pair of travel socks! 

Ron Hohenhaus, from the University of Queensland, recounted his Vietnam travel experiences, while club President Tina Cotis spoke about her travels to her Greece homeland. Tasty Pocket owner Justin Mabey gave us a taste of Greek food and hospitality.

The next Travellers’ Tales event is coming up on 8 April, 10{00am at the 60 and Better clubrooms in the Wynnum Community Centre, when a well-travelled club member, Alan Beswick, will share his experiences of visiting Myanmar/Burma in 1975 and 2017.

Sam & Max on a barbecue boat on Noosa River, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

This will give me an opportunity to back him up with my account of helping to launch The Road of Mandalay cruises in the mid-1990s and my travels up and down the Irrawaddy. 

In the first week of May, Travellers’ Tales will mark the 100th birthday of David Attenborough - the world’s most popular and effective campaigner for Life on Earth – with a focus on Oceans, to protect and enjoy. 

If you would like to hear and read more about The Art of Travel, see this December 2020/January 2021 issue of Asian Journeys: Here.

In a more recent issue of the magazine –  August/September 2025 - you will find three columns by me: Travellers Tales, Up in the Air, The Art of Travel, as well as a page headlined “Memorable Brisbane Airport Visit”. 

Besides writing for Asian Journeys, I contributed to a number of other media outlets, in 2025 most notably the Local News Group (including Redland Bayside News and Ipswich News) where I produced a weekly travel page and other stories/reviews on the arts, tourism and the environment:  https://redlandbaysidenews.com.au/author/khickson/

My Ocean Outlook column appeared in print for the first time in the DCN magazine, along with many more news stories on shipping, exporting, energy and cruising making a welcome appearance online in the Daily Cargo News. 

I’ve also contributed to the Wood Central platform over the years and many of my articles have connected with travel, events, hotels and resorts, most notably this report about a resort we stayed at in 2024 and I called a “bamboo masterpiece” on Cempedak Island, Indonesia. 

Feel free to email me for more: kenhickson@outlook.com

ORDER HERE:  fcowanmedia@gmail.com : Or go to Amazon: The Orange Sofa: Unicorn Eyes: Walking Home:    Singapore Circuit Breaker.  Zero Visibility - The Rescue of the Thai Football Team trapped in the cave in Northern Thailand.