A Warkworth couple who won a luxury stay in a Bay of Islands apartment complex had double reason to celebrate when they awoke in Paihia on Sunday - they'd also won Lotto First Division.
The couple, who do not wish to be named, won a radio contest to spend a weekend
at Paihia's Edgewater Palms Apartments.
They spent Saturday night there and awoke on Sunday with "a bit of a hangover" from celebrating their initial win. And then they checked the Lotto ticket they'd bought at an Orewa service station.
It quickly dawned on them - even in their foggy state of mind - they'd won Lotto First Division, along with five other folk around the country, and were $166,667 richer.
"We had chronic hangovers at that time, really bad ones. Then we checked our ticket in the newspaper and that sobered us up really quickly," the woman said.
And while some might bemoan having to split a First Division win six ways, this couple was having none of that.
"We didn't think like that at all. It was so wonderful to win anything - we're talking about $166,000 here ..."
The couple, regular Lotto players with two children, will now think carefully about what to do with the money, but another holiday is a distinct possibility.
Meanwhile, a ticket sold at Woolworths Kensington, Whangarei, was one of 25 that won Lotto Second Division on Saturday. The ticket is worth $10,597.
