This morning I woke up to wheezing, rasping, asthmatic ducks mimicking my breathing, in sympathy perhaps for my condition. I was thankful for the rest day.

Along the banks of the Derwent River here clumps of sand fire and fennel grow freely, on the glass-like surface. Not far out from shore a Kayak fisherman glides past, “How’s it going?” I ask.
“Great,” he calls back. “I’m targeting big bream but catching lots of small couta.”

It’s amazing how different it felt this morning riding the bikes without our gear as we cruised the Cycleway into Salamanca Market. We grazed on farm fresh produce; figs, raspberries, and sweet golden greengage plums. Therese had a lovely homemade vegetarian laksa. I sampled the raspberry and mango-flavoured Turkish delight, with a side of double-roasted peanuts. I passed up the Bruny Island Wallaby Pizza, fresh scallop pies, and the locally made extra spicy fat Bratwurst sausages, instead we left while we still could, for the short ride to the Hobart Botanical Gardens.

What a wonderful way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. I love the old walled gardens with their heirloom roses, formal lawns, graceful trees, and well-laid-out vegetable gardens. We helped ourselves to a few condiments for tonight’s dinner; a little basil, a couple of tomatoes, a capsicum, some oregano, and an apple.

Back at camp, I serviced the bikes and we excitedly discussed tomorrow’s route. While we were watching kids catch fish, unfortunately, a fistfight broke out among some drunken noisy campers nearby. Screams and yells then slams the car doors.

Soon enough calm returned as I watched jack rabbits or hares come down to nibble the sweet grass by the river’s edge while the kayak fisherman paddled past offering me some of his freshly caught fish for dinner.