Suddenly, as I rounded the corner, it all made sense to me. Lake Pukaki was sparkling in the morning sun, reflecting the snowy slopes of New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook, which stood like a sentinel at the far end of the lake.

The view was an almost tactile experience – because I'd cycled some 45 kilometres to see it. I'd felt the wind, sniffed the smells and heard the chirping of creatures on the way; I felt like a part of the landscape.

Hinterland ... the road to Lindis Pass, New Zealand. Credit:Michael O'Reilly

Compare that with the usual road-tripping experience. Fanging along in a steel cage, you swerve into a designated viewing spot, grab the camera and jump out the car, like an astronaut leaving the landing craft. A quick five minutes – “ooh, it's really fresh out here” – and then back into the confines of a climate-controlled vehicle that gets you places with no real investment of effort, or appreciation of distance covered.

I must confess that the previous night I'd been lying on my bed in a Lake Tekapo hostel and wondering what honourable excuse I could find for quitting after the first day of a planned 10-day cycle around the South Island.