Biggest Lotto pot gets dreams bubbling

Why not buy your very own Fijian island. Photo / Michael Bradley

What do you do with more money than you know what to do with?

Tonight's Powerball draw is set to be the biggest Lotto prize ever won in New Zealand, with $40 million up for grabs - and it all must go.

Kiwis have gone Lotto crazy in recent weeks as the jackpot has soared, with more than 1 million tickets being purchased for both last Saturday and Wednesday's draws, compared with a normal draw's sale of about 750,000 tickets.

Looking to blow most of the winnings immediately on a ridiculously extravagant purchase? The Weekend Herald is here to help.

Why not buy your very own Fijian island.

Katafanga Island Fiji for sale through Private Islands online for $34.9m.

Katafanga Island is a 9ha paradise, with white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. It is complete with 20 private villas, a runway, golf course, jetties and housing for any servants you may choose to employ. And it all could be yours for $34.9m.

You'll need a fast-paced car to match your high-flying millionaire lifestyle, and they don't come much quicker than the world's fastest SUV.

The Bentley Bentayga is the most expensive car on the lot at Giltrap Prestige in Grey Lynn, with a starting price for the six-litre twin-turbocharged W12 Bentayga of $398,000.

It may be scarcely believable but $40 million should be enough to buy a house in Auckland, and right now a former mayor's digs are on the market.

John Banks' multi-million dollar Auckland CBD penthouse - complete with silk-lined walls and marble-clad bathrooms and floors - is up for sale with a $5.25m price tag.

If a penchant for shiny things compels you to splash out on some bling, jewellers Naveya and Sloane could have you covered with one of the largest diamonds currently available in New Zealand.

Its top range features their custom-made 10ct diamond Kraz Setting ring in platinum, and unsurprisingly it isn't cheap. Ownership of the piece will set you back $540,000.

Winter's grey skies and plummeting temperatures may encourage you to escape across international borders, and Flight Centre luxury travel expert Olivia Vuksich, of Vuksich and Joll Travel Associates, has put together a number of options for a dream itinerary.

Avoid cramped cattle class and stretch out aboard Etihad's three-bedroom apartment in the sky, The Residence, which has a living room, seperate bedroom, ensuite and butler to tend to your every whim.

Avoid cramped cattle class and stretch out aboard Etihad's three-bedroom apartment in the sky, The Residence. Photo / Supplied

Return airfares from Auckland to London will cost you $59,978 per person. Once you arrive you could hire a private launch with staff to sail around the Mediterranean.

For a family of four travelling for seven nights you'd have to pay just under $100,000.

If you'd rather remain on land, you could pick yourself up a Lamborghini or Ferrari and drive the coast of Italy.

A luxury Tuscan villa costs $30,000 a night.

House of Travel recommends a week in the Maldives in a Sunset Overwater Villa on the private island of Gasfinolhu, with breathtaking ocean views. Seven nights and return transfers from Male is priced from $9135 per person.

House of Travel recommends a week in the Maldives in a Sunset Overwater Villa on the private island of Gasfinolhu.

If a life of excess isn't for you, the more conservative option of stashing the loot away in the bank may appeal.

Putting the entire $40m into a ASB Savings Plus account would earn interest of $1.16m a year - or $21,461 a week - on rates of 2.9 per cent.

A term deposit would generate more interest at 3.2 per cent for 12 months, amounting to $1.28 million, or $24,615 a week.

But before you start planning your new life of luxury, just consider the 1 in 3.8 million odds of actually striking it lucky.