We chose the scenic route to Brisbane via Toowoomba.
The countryside looks better the farther north we go. People had told us how green everything was north of Armidale but we found only a very gradual improvement in the vegetation. Perhaps the concept of "green" depends on what colour one is used to!.
We arrived at 213 Patricks Rd with only very minor detours from the direct route.
Leaving Max and Sarah's late, we drove to Aspley via Mitchelton which turned out to be a long way round. We will investigate more direct routes tomorrow.
Max was off work and Kelly was at kindergarten so we spent the day with Sarah, Max and Ross doing a little shopping and having hairdos in preparation for the Naturalisation Ceremony on Tuesday.
I discovered that one of the nuts securing the steps to the Motley had fallen off so a little repair work lying under the truck was called for. How people without a engineer in the crew cope with all the running repairs motorhomes seem to need, I don't know.
Up at crack o' dawn to get to Brookside in time to catch the 7.50 am bus to the city. Arrived 20 min early. Went into the Brisbane City Hall at 8.45 am.
At 9.30 a local band started playing (not very well) and some of us went out for relief and to buy something to drink.
At 10.30 the formal proceedings started.
The opening was a very impressive smoke ceremony by a group of local Aborigines. The Lord Mayor is apparently a true liberal who supports minorities in his constituency.
The speeches were, by and large, as uninspired as one would expect and as long as one feared. The exception was the Lord Mayor, Jim Soorley, who spoke with a passion about Australia as a home for all.
Swearing the oath of loyalty took all of 5 minutes.
The three families selected to receive personally their certificates of naturalisation included a South American family, a token Asian family from Hong Kong, and a token Pakistani family from the Midlands of the UK
The lady invited to respond for all the new Australians was an American who was so unrepresentative as to be a bit of a joke.
The departure was memorable because they had set up the Flag Raising Ceremony right outside the main door of the hall with the only exits from the hall one on each side. Half the family finished up on one side and the other half on the other with no way to meet without either going right round the block or jumping the railings and crossing the VIP red carpet (we chose the latter course of action, of course)