THE PLAN: TO CYCLE THROUGH Tasmania over three weeks, carrying a tent, bedding and all my luggage in panniers on the back of my bike. I would disembark the Spirit of Tasmania ferry in Devonport, traverse the tranquil Tamar Valley with a stop in Launceston, and travel down the notoriously beautiful East Coast until I reached Hobart.
The problem: I’m not a strong cyclist or a fit person generally. Ever since the successive lockdowns in Melbourne, my muscles have come to resemble pudding, while my belly has kept up with Australia’s inflation
