"She was certain I'd given her the winning ticket and kept teasing me about how she was going to win the big one that weekend," he said.
But on the Sunday morning they sat down and realised they really did have a winning ticket in the house.
"My girlfriend sat down and checked her ticket while I pottered around, but she didn't win anything."
However, as they sat down for breakfast he had read in the paper that a winning ticket had been sold in Havelock North.
"So I went and grabbed my ticket just in case it was me."
It was.
"I checked the number over and over again and I couldn't believe I'd won, so I asked my girlfriend to check it too and she thought I was having her on - she refused to believe me," he said.
Their next stop was their local Lotto store to confirm the win and to put their minds at ease.
They had left smiling with the news that an Audi A1 was indeed heading their way.
"I'm absolutely blown away by the win," he said.
"It's incredible.
"And it couldn't have come at a better time - I'm just stoked."
Two Bay people also picked up a $10,000 prize each in the Mother's Day draw.
Lotto agencies across the Bay are gearing up for a likely busy Saturday of sales after the past two weekends had come up with big winners.
On previous occasions of big wins for Bay Lotto players, tickets sales went up, one agency spokesman said.
