Local Lotto winner to spend more time tinkering

The winning ticket was sold at Whitcoulls New Lynn in Auckland.

A lucky Bay of Plenty local feels "like a million bucks" after winning $1 million with Lotto First Division.

The winner, who wants to remain anonymous, was holidaying in Auckland with a friend when she decided to by a Lotto ticket on a whim late last month.

"We were getting breakfast before heading home and I decided to splash out on a ticket - you always feel like you might buy a winner when you're out of town," the winner said.

After returning home, she didn't give her ticket a second thought until her friend texted her to see if she'd hit the big time.

"My friend was checking her tickets and offered to do mine at the same time, so I sent her a photo of my lucky ticket.

"When I asked her what the verdict was she said, 'You're going to be comfortable for the rest of your life.'

"That's when the tears came," the winner said.

With the winning ticket in hand, she headed to a local Lotto store.

"I said to the man behind the counter that I thought I'd won a bit of money.

"When he put the ticket through the machine and the bells and whistles went off, I could feel my heart beating - I was just so excited." When the winner found out just how lucky she had become, she decided to do something to celebrate there and then.

"I drove to my friend's place and shouted her lunch at a nice restaurant.

"It was so special being able to share the whole experience with her."

She planned to invest in things close to her heart.

"I'll pay off my daughter's mortgage and do up a couple of vintage motorcycles that I've had sitting in my shed for a while now.

"I'm pretty excited to spend less time working and more time tinkering."

The winning ticket was sold at Whitcoulls New Lynn in Auckland.