A Wellington couple went to work as normal after not quite believing they had won millions in Lotto the night before.
The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, had a sleepless night after they found out they had won $16 million with Powerball First Division.
"I kept nudging my husband every half hour or so to see if he was asleep, my mind was racing with all the amazing things we’d be able to do, and I needed to talk!" the woman told Lotto NZ.
"He was a bit calmer than me, but only because he wasn’t sure it was actually real."
Earlier that evening, the man bought a ticket on MyLotto after seeing the jackpot was a huge $16 million.
"I usually buy a ticket when the jackpot is high – probably over $10 million – and even then, it’s only when I remember to get one," he said. "I normally don’t check it for days afterwards either, so I don't know what made me log in after the draw."
As he logged in, he saw a message saying he was a winner.
"I honestly thought it was a glitch – never in a million years did I think we'd win."
He said it wasn't until they saw in the news the jackpot had been won in Wellington that it dawned on them that it was real.
After checking their ticket multiple times, screenshotting it, and reading the news over and over, the couple decided to go to bed as they had work in the morning.
The next day, they went to work as usual and welcomed the distraction.
"I was able to compartmentalise and do my job – I don't know how," the woman said. "Every time I was alone throughout the day though, my mind wandered back to all those zeroes on the ticket, and I just burst out laughing."
After finishing work the man got a call from Lotto NZ, with the confirmation they had won which was a "weight off my mind" he said.
The couple took Labour Weekend to let the enormity of their win sink in and celebrated with a low-key family dinner.
"We are going to celebrate properly soon, hopefully, we can get away for a couple of days, just us," the woman said.
The couple plan to pay off their mortgage, do some renovations, help out their family and donate to charities close to their hearts, they said. But first on the list is a family holiday.
"This win is life-changing. It gives us the freedom to do those things we maybe couldn't before. We love travelling, it's an experience that's important to us, so that's definitely on the agenda – starting with a family holiday," the woman said.
They are the sixteenth Powerball First Division winners of 2022.
