After a year of "challenges" for one Wairoa-based Lotto player, bagging $10.3 million was the last thing they were expecting.
But that's exactly what happened for the anonymous winner from the cyclone-struck Hawke's Bay town, who has described the days since winning Powerball on Saturday as a "blur".
Lotto said the winner was a regular player who had a bought a Power Dip ticket from a local supermarket earlier in the week.
The winner, in a statement via Lotto, said they were watching the live draw on Saturday - and the numbers just kept coming.
"All of a sudden, I had four matching numbers and then five. I yelled, 'I've got five numbers!'
"I was so happy," the winner said.
The winner said they then realised they had more numbers.
"When I circled the Powerball, I stood up in shock.
"My whānau couldn't believe it - they checked the ticket three times because they thought I'd gotten it wrong!"
They started to "jump around and cry" once the reality of their winnings sunk in.
"I couldn't sit still and was in a stupor for the rest of the evening."
They claimed their prize on Monday and now plan to invest their winnings as well as help their whānau. Other than that, the winner said they planned to "carry on life as normal".
After a tough year filled with "challenges", the winner said they were "thankful for this prize and looking forward to the future".
"This year has brought us closer together."
