Five winning lotto tickets were sold in Flaxmere, Hastings, four at the Scott Drive Four Square, and one at the Flaxmere Pharmacy. Video by Duncan Brown.
It was all odds against the odds in Flaxmere on Wednesday, with five people winning Lotto's first division.
The numbers drawn were all odd, a rare occurrence.
The story gets odder still, however, with four of those five tickets being sold in one shop.
Scott Drive Foursquare's owner Becky Geeis bubbling with excitement about the win.
Scott Drive Four Square's owner, Becky Gee, is ecstatic four of her customers won big at Lotto. Photo / Duncan Brown
"Most of our customers are local people, so hopefully it will help with lots of families," Gee said.
She said it was the first time they had sold a first division ticket.
"We have second division winners, we have top prize for Instant Kiwi, but Lotto first division, this is the first time."
The fifth Flaxmere ticket was sold at Flaxmere Pharmacy, where the owner Tim Klingender said the pharmacy was stoked one of their customers had won a big prize.
"It's going to help untold with paying mortgages, paying bills."
Flaxmere Pharmacy owner, Tim Klingender, whose pharmacy sold the fifth Flaxmere first division ticket. Photo / Duncan Brown
Hastings councillor for Flaxmere, Jacoby Poulain, wanted to congratulate the families who had won.
"For a community like Flaxmere it will do a marvellous amount of good."
She said she hoped the families would be able to treat themselves a bit, as people in Flaxmere worked incredibly hard for their whānau.
Budget adviser Kristal Leach's biggest piece of advice was to take your time when it came to spending a windfall.
"You should treat yourself, life is about stopping and enjoying yourself along the way, but there's no need to spend it all in one week!"
"Take out $1000, spend it how you will, put the rest of the $24,000 in the bank for three months, sit on it, come and see us, let's go through a financial plan and set some goals for that money."
"Don't go out and quit your job, or blow it on a new car."
She said three months allowed the novelty of the money to wear off.
