After winning $23.3 million in last week’s Lotto draw, a couple from the upper North Island celebrated with fish and chips on the beach.
The largest Powerball prize of the year was struck on Wednesday last week.
The couple, who wished to remain anonymous, said seeing the enormous figure was “mind-boggling”.
“I thought maybe it was the $333,333 – which would have been life-changing itself,” the man said.
“I saw the 23 at the start, and it took me a few seconds to figure out it was $23 million. It was absolutely mind-boggling.”
The man, who said he was “tearful” at this point, went to show his wife. She initially asked if something was wrong.
“I just blurted it out – ‘we’ve won 23.3 million dollars’,” the man said.
“We’re always joking with each other, so of course she didn’t believe me… until I showed her the ticket on MyLotto.”
The couple said they spent the rest of the day “not quite believing” what had just happened.
“We’re both shocked to our core. It’s going to take a while to sink in, and I don’t think it will start to feel real until we see it in the bank.”
The couple celebrated by eating fish and chips on the beach, chatting about their family’s future.
“We live a simple life and will continue to – but what we can now do for our children, and our grandchildren – that’s what’s life-changing,” the man said.
