There never was a dull moment at the Motel Boomerang as it provided a constant source of interesting guests from all over the world, including of course, from Australia. With Dino's love for gardening and long experience in the field, he soon turned the large grounds into the most beautiful gardens and built a barbecue near the swimming pool, with an open air dance floor. The word quickly got around Rome and on Sundays the public flocked there, to find each week a big party for them, with non-stop music from the juke-box.

Rina's friendly way with people helped to make the motel a big success and clients faithfully came back year after year (despite the party tricks that she sometimes couldn’t resist playing on them!). Many of the guests became close friends of Rina’s and Dino’s and continued thereafter to correspond with them from distant parts of the world. One illustrious client that impressed Rina, was the crown Prince Norodom Sianouk of Cambodia, who stayed several times with a large court following.      

                 Rina and Dino Camillo

The Boomerang was also a favourite setting for many film producers and was often taken over by film crews and the stars. Dino was also commissioned to star in a TV commercial with his sporty Maseratti roadster.

Needless to say, the Motel Boomerang was also a meeting point for all Australian tourists visiting Rome and consequently the Camillos managed to keep up their ties with Australia.

Rina, feeling very much Australian, would have preferred to return to Australia at this point, but the sentimental developments with her two daughters changed her plans definitively.

Ivana and Jannina matured into two attractive young ladies and soon formed their own ties; Ivana with Gianni Nardini from Milan and Jannina with Sandro Salvetti from Rome, whose parents were from Sardinia. This island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, was to play a very important role in the lives of each member of the Camillo family.

Laurence in the meantime finished his law degree at the Australian National University in Canberra and then joined the family in Rome, after his graduation in 1969. There he spent two years enjoying a well-deserved rest, mainly developing his new hobby of jewellery making. Subsequently, on one of his trips there to Sardinia, (the family had taken up Sabina's invitation to visit her island) he found a job as After Sales manager with the Aga Khan's real estate organisation on the Costa Smeralda, renting luxury villas to Europe's rich.

The place Laurence decided to live in, is exceptionally beautiful, with a scarcely populated archipelago and uncontaminated sea. It is particularly appealing to an Australian who is used to wide open spaces and it has the added advantage of being free from sharks and poisonous snakes. The sea-water has a characteristic emerald colour which inspired the name Costa Smeralda. The best of the world’s architects were invited by the Aga Khan to plan the resort and design the hotels and villas, with quite a spectacular result.

Laurence thoroughly enjoyed working here, for the lovely setting and for the interesting clientele, the rich, the nobility, the powerful, the famous and the beautiful. He occasionally flew on the Aga Khan’s private jet to Paris and Geneva to attend the Costa Smeralda Board Meetings.

Four years later Laurence set up his own real estate agency in Porto Cervo and in time became one of Italy's more successful agents, widely known for his professionalism. Greatly helped by his law degree and knowledge of the English language, he was made responsible for Foreign Affairs of the Italian Federation of Professional Real Estate Agents (FIAIP - Federazione Italiana Agenti Immobiliari Professionali). In this capacity he sits on the Board of Amministration of the European Confederation of Real Estate Agents (CEI - Confédération Européenne de l'Immobilier) where he has promoted the international co-operation between  Agents. In 1995 he was appointed Vice-President of the Confederation and in 1996, he became President. Travelling widely throughout Europe, he was instrumental in bringing into the federation several Eastern European countries. 

  Laurence Camillo

Laurence married a Sardinian girl, Mabi Satta, in 1975 and had two children, Lisa and Alex. Lisa is presently studying Criminology at university in Melbourne, while Alex is in high-school in Rome. Mabi was secretary for 17 years to the Secretary General, Paolo Riccardi, of the Aga Khan's Costa Smeralda operation, with its 3000 hectares of land and 500 employees. Riccardi was President of the 30 companies, of the group, including the Alisarda, which is now called Meridiana.  

   Mabi Satta Camillo

Mabi started working there 1966 and was closely involved with the development of the coastline that she used to visit by fishing boat when she was a little girl. Mabi is a very strong-headed and capable woman and after she left her job with the Aga Khan in 1982, she joined her husband and made an excellent partner in his Agency. The following are two limericks that her husband cheekily composed for her:

                A bright young man from Wangaratta,
                married a girl called Mabi Satta.
                She was quite pretty
                and also rather witty,
                but happened to be as mad as a hatter.

                                               - o -

                There was a smart lady called Mabi, 
                who was lucky to have a good hubby. 
                So very patient and fair, 
                her tantrums he would bear 
                and wash the kids when grubby.

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