Catastrophic bushfires in the Adelaide Hills

South Australian winemaker Geoff Weaver bought his property at Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills in 1982 and planted a vineyard. In February the following year, the terrible Ash Wednesday bushfire – one of the most destructive disasters in Australia’s history – tore through and destroyed his house and a shed.

‘I thought at the time that was the worst that nature could throw at us', says the 70-year-old winemaker, adding, ‘I was wrong about that.’ 

On 20 December this year, as the mercury boiled past 40...