Husband and wife come up with novel living arrangement

By LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK

Vaughan Bullivant ran a multi-million-dollar company for years, but it never generated as much stress as living with his wife.

The New Zealand-born millionaire almost ended his fiery relationship with his partner Carmel due to their conflicting house habits - slobbery cohabiting with compulsive cleanliness.

Their devotion, however, demanded a solution: neighbouring "his and hers" mansions.

Mr Bullivant, who sold his Nature's Own vitamin business for $177 million last year, has splashed out on two mansions in Australia, costing more than $27.5 million to build.

Loving thy neighbour is taking on a whole new meaning in the waterside district of Redcliffe, near Brisbane.

"I've been raised to very fussy standards. I'm used to things being clean and tidy," said Christchurch-born Mr Bullivant, aged 53. "But she's an absolute slob. You never see the bed or the floor. I just couldn't stand it."

The pair broke off their relationship in 1996, but after 12 months they couldn't bear to be apart and opted for marriage - on one condition, that they forever remain living in separate homes.

Mr Bullivant, a former New Zealand waterskiing champion, and his wife will move into their luxury mini-resort next month after two years of planning. Their 20-month-old daughter Tia will have a bedroom in each home, which share combined grounds, including an enormous resort-style lagoon pool with waterslides.

"When we first got together it was just like all partnerships - it was a matter of lust and love being blind," said Mr Bullivant, who has shifted his interests to the property market. "But I was running round all the time cleaning up after her and I eventually thought 'bugger this'."

It took 10 years to secure the land where the two whopping mansions are located.

Six houses were demolished or shifted to make room for Mrs Bullivant's plantation-style home and her husband's ultra-modern four-storeyed house.

"I suppose we're both pretty weird, a bit eccentric," said Mr Bullivant.

"Some people probably think we're gay for living apart. But this is how we like it. We've just built exactly what we wanted. We've designed it like a mini-resort."

Mr Bullivant's home comes complete with a penthouse bedroom and entertainment area, with 180-degree views of the sea and beach. A pop-up television is concealed in the bed and an adjoining lounge features fibre-optic shooting stars across the ceiling.

A shower with five water spouts ensures maximum bathroom enjoyment, and Mr Bullivant's teenage son from a previous marriage has a games room and a music recording studio to entertain himself during visits.

Across the driveway, Mrs Bullivant's huge lagoon is surrounded by elephant, monkey and lion sculptures, but the jungle theme doesn't stop at the poolside.

A cat lover, her bedroom is decorated with a huge mural of leopards and tigers, while clouds float across the ceiling.

Daughter Tia has her own toy room with a mural of Great Barrier Reef on the wall, while Mrs Bullivant's two children from a previous marriage have fibre-optic stars sparkling on their bedroom ceilings.

Mr Bullivant says the pair have a healthy monogamous relationship and see each other "quite frequently," although business commitments and families keep them busy.

Mr Bullivant is planning a $20 million face-lift of his Daydream Island resort in the Whitsunday Islands, while Mrs Bullivant is running the Redcliffe hotel with her four sisters and two girlfriends.

The self-made businessman, who also established health food businesses Natural Nutrition and Bio-Organics, has no investments in New Zealand, but still considers himself a "Kiwi bloke."