Jeremy Clarkson, Charlie Sheen and Lady Gaga all had lavish demands when staying on Waiheke during their visits. Photos / File
Lady Gaga wanted to go fishing in an outlandish costume, Jeremy Clarkson sent a helicopter to Auckland four times in one night and a Russian princess insisted the house flowers and fruit be changed twice a day.
So go the demands and eccentricities of some of the rich and famous who hire luxury homes in New Zealand.
With their chequebooks and fame come at-times bizarre demands.
Ed Coutts, owner and managing director of Waiheke Unlimited, has spent 20 years dealing with wealthy clients who want to rent a secluded, luxury house on Auckland's Waiheke Island. He says he has seen it all.
"I had a Russian princess whose maid-in-waiting couldn't be any closer than 20 feet [6m] to her at any stage," Coutts said.
Every room had to be heated to no less than 28C, the flowers and fruit bowl had to be changed twice a day. "The lining papers in every drawer and cupboard in the bedroom had to be changed every day."
Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been a regular visitor and during one stay he sent a helicopter to Auckland four times for things like cigarettes - because it was too far to drive to the shop - a Monopoly game requested at 6.30pm when the Waiheke shops were closed and even gravy mix.
"The cost was outrageous and the show's promoters were complaining they were going broke," Coutts said.
During another visit, Clarkson wanted a new, black-on-black Range Rover Sport with no mileage on the odometer delivered to the house.
Coutts did manage to get the exact colour and model to the island, albeit with 100km on the clock.
"Then it sat there and it never got used.
"I asked him [Clarkson] what was the point and he said 'I just wanted to look at it'."
During the 2003 America's Cup in Auckland, Clarkson demanded a place on an America's Cup boat during a race.
When told that was not possible, he then wanted to race around the course at the same time.
"We told him he couldn't but we did get one of the old America's Cup boats and went out on that."
Smuggling Lady Gaga to Waiheke took five helicopters going in different directions at the same time all with "lookalike Gagas" on board.
Coutts had arranged to shut down local restaurants for private dining but when she arrived at Fossil Cove, the home she was renting, she declared she was not going out.
A panicking Coutts said he had not organised a chef or enough food so Gaga asked him if he could cook.