CCC’s German vegan conservationist Simon Geschke comes face-to-face with bushfire destruction in Adelaide Hills
CCC’s Tour de France stage winner Simon Geschke listened to real stories from locals on Tuesday about the bushfires that flattened much of the Santos Tour Down Under route in the Adelaide Hills.
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CCC Team’s German vegan conservationist Simon Geschke met real heroes in Woodside on Tuesday - folk that battled the same bushfires which had killed humans and potentially hundreds of thousands of animals.
CCC rode through some of the ravaged bushfire zones on Lobethal Road and also cycled past a razed vintage home where a burnt out car attached to a boat was charcoaled on Onkaparinga Road on their way to the town, which will feature in the Santos Tour Down Under.
Geschke’s melancholic thoughts soon dissipated when CCC approached some members of the stunned community at the Woodside Institute.
Meeting long-time married couple Barb and Bob Hahesy - who fought the bushfires and won, saving their home from perishing on Jacaranda Drive on December 20 - was a reality check for Geschke.
“It’s the worst part of these bushfires, humans have died and also the animals that perished here without having a real chance,’’ Geschke, 33, said.
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“It’s crazy, that’s worst part of this catastrophe – I’m happy it’s a bit under control that’s a good part – but seeing the pictures of the burnt animals the koalas, kangaroos is really shocking, a lot of people in Europe had empathy for it.”
With Geschke moved by the sight of destruction, Barb was ecstatic by the appearance of CCC.
She said the cycling team had taken worried minds off the catastrophe and put smiles on the faces of men, women and children as they rolled into the town which was established in 1850.
The Hahesys also rallied the “Volunteers of Love Woodside” and the “Woodside Commerce Association” to work with members of the community to finish decorations for the Novatech stage 2 start on January 22.
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Less than three weeks ago Bob and Barb were in survival mode.
“The fire went up Jacaranda Drive and the blaze was on its way and very close to our place,’’ Barb said.
“We saw a spot fire start down in the paddock and our house is on the township boundary.
“We saw the wispy smoke, we got out and got our hoses and wet stuff down, the heat was tremendous.
“I wasn’t scared at the time, but now if feels quite surreal that we’ve actually done it.
“We’ve only got short grass in the paddocks behind us and as it went up the hill it got worse because of the scrub at the top of the hill.
“That’s where the fire started to take out houses, three sheds were taken out between six houses where we live, so we were just lucky.
“The fire came up the side of our garage as well and if it had gone much further it would have got into dry stuff and that was in the neighbour’s place and we would have lost our house.
“It’s the emotion, the adrenaline, it’s amazing what you do.
“My husband is just cool, calm and collected because he has fought fires on the land before, he was telling me where to go and what to do.”
Gershke became a vegan after his Tour de France stage win in 2015 after first experimenting with the lifestyle change, enjoying it and never looking back, revealing his blood levels are regularly checked.
Tourism Minister David Ridgway said the Tour Down Under brought joy to the people of the communities affected by bushfires.
He added the race would go ahead provided all safety measures are in place.