The couple
from Hastings who won half of the NZD$ 26.4 million New Zealand Powerball
jackpot on Saturday, June 7, 2014, were so sure what their first
purchases was going to be they chose their hotel very carefully when they
travelled down to Auckland to claim their prize.
"New
cars are at the top of our list," the husband said. "We're even
staying at a hotel near a dealer so we can start shopping as soon as the
winnings are in our account."
The couple
checked their ticket on Sunday, but waited a few days before making the trip
the claim their prize and kept their AUD$ 13.2 million ticket safely hidden in
a sock drawer.
"It
was really funny reading about the win in the newspaper each morning and
hearing people talking about it around town, knowing all the while that we had
the lucky ticket tucked away at home," the husband said.
The couple
play the same numbers each week, so as soon as he saw the draw results he knew
their ticket was a winner, but he wasn't sure of the size of the prize.
"When
I realized we'd won first division I crossed my fingers, hoping I'd picked the
right Powerball too," he explained. "Lucky for us, I had. I jumped up
and ran through the house yelling 'we've won Lotto.'"
New Zealand
Powerball drawings are held on Saturdays. The June 14, 2014, drawing has an
estimated jackpot of NZD$ 5 million.
