Live Your Bucket List Today! Join the Club Now!
We catch up with Club Wyndham South Pacific owner and Lifestyle Silver member Yvoir Hingee. He has travelled extensively across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Americas and Europe since becoming an owner in 2001. Our club system goes back to 2005 and Yvoir has recorded 45 trips through the club since then.
Where have you travelled with the club?
I’ve lost count of the number of places I have been! So far, I’ve been to Port Douglas, Airlie Beach, Golden Beach, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Shoal Bay, Nelson Bay, Sydney, Pokolbin Hill, Melbourne, Ballarat, Dinner Plain, Torquay, Seven Mile Beach, Dunsborough and Phuket.
What does your bucket list look like?
Normandy is a club destination I have not visited yet. I would also like to travel to Coffs Harbour and Shoal Bay again.
What are some of your favourite adventures you have had?
I try to take part in local regional excursions, test myself on hikes and, of course, taste the local cuisine and look at the local wares at the markets. I like to try to meet the locals, too.
Have you ever tried anything for the first time on holiday?
I like trying out the national parks and beaches near new destinations for the first time.
Have you ever bonded with the locals during your holidays?
I have made a few faux pas trying out my language skills but that’s part of the fun! Several years ago, hitch hiking was quite safe and even a great way to meet people and explore the local area. Once in New Zealand, I was picked up by some friendly Māori who took me for a home visit!
What’s the strangest thing you have seen on holiday?
Club Wyndham Coffs Harbour once had a Gymea lily with a flower at the top of a stem that reached the third floor (about 10 to 12 metres). I’ve never seen one that big!
What is the scariest thing you have done on holiday?
Deep cenote swimming in Mexico.
What is the weirdest thing you have eaten while travelling?
Snails in Japan.
What travel experiences would you recommend at our club destinations?
I’ve always found it useful to try to get to the owners’ “Meet and Greet” event at each resort to meet the staff as well as fellow travellers to hear about any special places to visit locally and hints for good venues, local markets, and events. The reception staff are a great information source too since they live nearby and know what visitors like to see and do. At Bendigo, for instance, the Eureka Museum is fascinating. And at Coffs Harbour, the hikes around the Dorrigo area are really good, especially at the National Parks Centre there with the skywalk and rainforest track next to it. The same applies to the Port Macquarie Sea Acres National Park Centre.
What is your top travel tip for adventurers?
Spend time with the locals! You will meet some interesting people.
Has your bucket list reduced or increased over the years?
Definitely increased! The more I have seen, the more I want to do.
If money and time was no problem, what sort of trip would you create for yourself?
I would ride a motorbike from Ushuaia in Argentina’s far south to Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada – which is a distance of more than 16,000km! I might add a leg onto Alaska to see some additional sights.
What are your favourite places to travel, and for what reason?
Greece and the Greek Islands, Rome, and Turkey. I love the history of all three countries and the beaches of the Greek Islands.
