Gisborne couple sits on $500,000 Lotto ticket for two weeks

Despite knowing their local store had sold a $500,000 lotto ticket a Gisborne couple spent two weeks before checking their winning ticket. Photo / John Borren

Despite knowing their local store had sold a $500,000 Lotto ticket, a Gisborne couple spent two weeks before checking theirs.

The lucky couple, who wish to remain anonymous, had a good feeling about their ticket from the moment they bought it.

"I just had a good feeling when I stepped into the store, so when I got to the front of the queue I said to the operator, 'I'll have the winning Lotto ticket, thanks'," the winner said.

The next day, they read in the newspaper that the store had sold a winning Lotto ticket.

Then they realised they might have bought it.

"When my husband and I heard Pak N Save Gisborne had sold the winning ticket, we put the ticket out of sight – we just couldn't bear to check it.

"We spent the next week and a half imagining what we would do if we really were the lucky winners, we talked about it every day," the couple said.

Then after a week of waiting they decided to bite the bullet and check it.

"As I read him the winning numbers, my husband checked the ticket then beamed at me with the biggest smile on his face and said 'It's us. We won it!'"

The couple then drove to the shop to claim their prize.

"The owner took us out the back and checked the ticket for us. When he smiled at us and confirmed that we really had won, the two of us started jumping up and down, and I burst into tears.

"It was an unbelievable moment – it still is, really," the winner said.

Now the winners were looking forward to deciding what to do with their newfound fortune.

"As much as we dreamt about what we'd do before we checked the ticket, it's a bit different now that we've really won.

"All we know for now is that we want to make sure the kids are looked after – we'll wait and see about the rest."