Todd and Kip's dream home 'WE'VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER'

Broken wood Mysteries' quirky couple have found their piece of paradise

- Elisabeth Easther

Whoever said you should never mix business with pleasure, or work W with your spouse, had clearly never met happily married actors Kip Chapman and Todd Emerson, who are soon to be seen together in an episode of beloved Kiwi detective series The Brokenwood Mysteries.

Well known for roles on stage and screen, Todd is popular with local audiences for being Bilkey in Westside, while Kip is a familiar face thanks to starring in Jane Campion's Top of the Lake and, more recently, playing Selin in the new Amazon Prime series Lord of the Rings, describing it as his biggest job ever.

The talented twosome invited Woman's Day to take a sneak peek at their stunning new home in rustic Warkworth, 40 minutes north of Auckland, in what they term "technically the country"

"We've never been happier", Todd enthuses as he shows off the stunning residence the couple share with their beloved dog Tui. "We've got a half-acre section, including a giant redwood tree. The garden is huge and we have these wonderful views towards Mahurangi."

But the actors never guessed this country fantasy was on their horizon until they asics were living it. "We'd been in Sydney for four years, acting and doing odd jobs, then, in 2020, we had one of those magic moments when we both got work in the same place at the same time - me shooting Lord of the Rings while Todd was playing Bilkey in Westside"," explains Kip.