A Whakatane local has been left stunned after realising she had won $1 million with Lotto's "Make Summer Last Forever" promotion, drawn on Saturday.
The winner is not a regular Lotto player but decided to pick up a ticket on a whim as she walked past the Lotto kiosk at New World Whakatane, after finishing her weekly grocery shopping.
"The lady at the Lotto shop asked if I'd like a Triple Dip, as there were lots of extra prizes up for grabs in the next draw. It sounded good to me, so that's what I bought. I then promptly popped the ticket in my bag and forgot about it."
With no idea that the top prize had been won in Whakatane, it took a few days for the winner to check her ticket, only digging it out of her handbag when she passed a local Lotto store.
"I had to hunt around a bit to find the ticket, as it had found its way right to the bottom of my bag. I handed the little slip of paper over and the girl behind the counter told me I'd won $1 million. I couldn't believe it, I was absolutely stunned."
She is still coming to terms with her good fortune.
"After working hard for what feels like forever, I'll finally be able to slow down and enjoy life a bit more. The win has given me the chance to do the things I've always wanted to do but couldn't justify, and the ability to help my family out. I'm really excited to see what the future holds."
Meanwhile, a lucky Lotto player from Opotiki won an Audi S5 Coupe in the same promotion, but the prize has still not been claimed.