Families locked down in Sydney’s west are literally climbing the walls

Locked down at home in Penrith, in Sydney’s west, the Chapman family has spent the past seven weeks literally climbing the walls.

Father-of-five Peter Chapman started building a bouldering wall in his family’s shed back in 2019, completing the final touches during Sydney’s first COVID-19 lockdown. Now that family is under stay-at-home orders once more, that play space in the shed has never been more valued.

The Chapman family from Penrith have built a climbing wall in their back shed which they have used regularly during lockdownCredit: Wolter Peeters

“They like to go climbing every afternoon,” said his wife Nicola, whose children are aged between six and 15. “It uses every muscle in your body, and it’s challenging. There’s that problem-solving aspect. If I’ve had a hard day [working from home] with the children, my husband will take them down after dinner to give me a break and the kids a chance to expend some energy.”

Their local government area joined other parts of west and south-west Sydney this week as an area of concern, and came under harsher restrictions than have applied to most other parts of NSW during the outbreak.

But while residents of the east and north shore flocked to Sydney’s beaches when COVID-19 hit their neighbourhoods, families on the city’s fringe are instead taking advantage of larger spaces and nearby bushland to stay sane.

The Khouchaba family, who live nearby in Mulgoa, have also converted their shed: this time into an aerial acrobatics facility. Sisters Eleni, 14, and Amity, 9, can regularly hang upside down in silk ropes to expel the nerves and frustrations of weeks of home learning.

Eleni, 14, and Amity Khouchaba, 9, practice doing aerial acrobatics on silks in their back shed at their home in Mulgoa during lockdown.Credit: Wolter Peeters

But for Silas Statheos, a year 11 student who lives in the neighbouring lower Blue Mountains area where restrictions are not as tight, stress relief is found outdoors. His activity of choice is mountain biking, and he’s been heading outside every afternoon from when he finishes school until the sun sets.

He would usually go riding with a group of 15 or 20 mates, but these days he’s venturing out by himself or with one friend, depending on who is free. “Lockdown has been really hard,” he said. “But it’s good because the area I live in. I have pretty much the whole Blue Mountains to be able to exercise and get out after school, go for a ride, and get some vitamin D and some adrenaline.”

He can no longer travel outside his 10-kilometre radius to find new bushland or tracks to explore. So instead, Silas’ goal is simply to ride the track near his home faster each time. “It’s good because you’re out in the scenery - you can see the trees, the birds, families going for walks with dogs; it’s a good community,” he said.

Silas Statheos and Noah Przydacz ride a downhill trail after a day of home learning in the lower Blue Mountains.Credit: Wolter Peeters

Bronwyn Ralphs has also been exploring the lower Blue Mountains with her sons Jack, 12, and Ben, 8. “We’ve approached [remote learning] by trying to be proactive about the times we work hard and start a bit earlier in the morning, so we can finish schoolwork by lunch,” she said.

Then it’s time to head outside. “It’s giving them those opportunities to play, that’s not a structured environment, where they can interact with their world like they would at school,” she said.

Her husband David will take the kids outdoor rock climbing three or four times a week, and they climb as a family on the weekends. The children love the sense of adventure, and the views of the mountains they get from the top. “And just that physical and mental challenge – doing something they didn’t think they could,” Ms Ralphs said.

Matt Stanowski, who lives in the Blue Mountains township of Glenbrook, has also focused on trying to provide alternatives to screen time for his children Audrey, 7, and Michael, 5.

“All families are finding it challenging at this time – balancing working from home, keeping safe, keeping your kids engaged in class and happy outside, and socially progressing in their lives - essentially just trying to keep them active and not glued to a screen,” he said.

David Ralphs rock climbs with his son Jack, 12, at Medlow Bath near their home in the Blue Mountains.Credit: Bronwyn Ralphs

His answer to that dilemma has come in the form of a fire pit, which he built during the last lockdown. “We’re fortunate to have space here, so it’s in the bush. We can get away from the house, sit around the fire, talk and eat and be with each other,” he said.

His children have been singing songs around the fire - opting for 2000s pop hits instead of the traditional campfire carols - or running around, playing with sticks and rocks, and exploring the surrounding environment.

“We’re down here every weekend, and one afternoon a week if it’s not raining. We’ll toast some marshmallows, and we’ve started making damper and butter chicken. The kids are getting good at it now - lighting the fire, cooking, learning life skills” he said.

Matt Stanowski and Laura Fitzpatrick toast marshmallows with their two children Audrey, 7, and Michael, 5, in the fire pit at their home in Glenbrook. Credit: Wolter Peeters

“It’s about being together as a family. This is a time with many negatives, but we’re trying to make some positives out of it.”

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