On Saturday night he was about to go to bed when he read on Facebook that Woody's had sold the winning ticket.
"I sat there with my phone in one hand and my ticket in the other checking off the numbers one by one with a pencil. When I saw all the numbers on the first line, I thought 'no way, this can't be real'," said the man.
"The moment I found out we had won was totally surreal. It's the only way I can describe it. I started shaking straight away and was barely making any sense when I tried to tell my partner what was going on."
The ticket which won an Auckland family $16.5 million. Photo / Supplied
The man's partner thought something "bad had happened" when he raced into their bedroom to share the news.
"He was shaking and wasn't making any sense at all. Then he finally managed to get the words out 'We've won ... we've won Powerball!'" said the man's partner.
The man said he didn't get a wink of sleep on Saturday night as he woke up to check the ticket was still in his pocket every few hours.
The family decided they would head to Lotto's head office today to claim their prize, so celebrated with a Sunday roast in the meantime.
"We went over to my partner's parents for dinner and they put on a roast with all the trimmings. It was the perfect way to celebrate with all the kids and grandkids," said the winner.
As for what to spend the money on, the couple already have a pretty good idea.
"We're going to buy our first house together. It's something we've always dreamed of and now it's going to be a reality. We've already started looking at houses - that is definitely the first thing on the cards."
Next was upgrading their cars and the engagement ring he had bought his fiancé, the man said.
However, they were happy with the wedding they had planned for the summer, so wouldn't be making any big changes, he said.
"We're also going to put some money aside for the kids and grandkids to make sure they are set up for years to come."
He described the win as "completely life-changing".
"While we won't be going back to work at this stage, this win means we can pursue all things we have always wanted to do. I've always wanted to have a farm and my partner has always dreamed of having an art studio - and it's incredible to know it's all possible now."
