The Club welcomed Geoff Atkinson, Past Assistant District Governor and current member of the Rotary Club of Wellington South as guest speaker to its meeting on 26 March.  A global traveller, Geoff took us on a fascinating journey to South America, on his “bucket list”, as he put it, hoping to again return if he has the opportunity at a later date. With his wife Vivien busy in Wellington with a contemporary jewellery business Geoff recently embarked on  packaged tours over 29 days that would take in the great sights of Brazil, Peru, Argentina, and Chile. His power point presentation truly captured the fascination of touring this part of the world. Learning about ancient civilisations and their survival in today’s cities, towns and rural environs, was an experience for Club members. Geoff homed in on famous monuments, historic buildings, world heritage sites, and the lives of people, well known places like Manaus, in Brazil, Cuseo, the ancient Inca capital, Machu Picchu, Santiago in Chile, then across the great Andes to places of high altitude, and in particular to the largest lake in South America, Lake Titicaca, 3,812m above sea level, deep in the Andes on the border of Bolivia and Peru. As Geoff pointed out these great places attract hundreds of thousands of tourists in a year, they are countries facing huge economic pressures, living with the stigma of centuries of corruption, and democracy still very fragile to their inhabitants.  

Geoff had a 30 year career in refining and managerial roles with the Mobil Oil Corporation, with postings in Australia, the USA, the Philippines, England, Germany, Japan and New Zealand, retiring in 1997 as Managing Director of Mobil Oil New Zealand. Subsequently, he has undertaken consulting roles in the energy field. He has also been active in the arts scene in Wellington as Chairman of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts and Chair of the St James Trust. As an Assistant Rotary Governor some years ago, Geoff was responsible for five Clubs in the Wellington area, including the Rotary Club of Karori. Geoff and Vivien divide their time between apartment living in Wellington and an apartment in Melbourne.