Tiny town keeps its big winner to itself

Stephanie Lane believes she sold the winning ticket at the Four Square owned by Hitendra Patel (left) and Vipin Chand. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

If they know, they're not saying, but the winner of the country's biggest Lotto prize sure has locals guessing in the Far North town of Kaeo.

The only shouting over the huge prize of nearly $18 million has been down at the Four Square store where the lucky ticket was sold.

Hitendra Patel, who co-owns the store with his brother Vipin Chand, said there was excitement in the air "but people aren't rushing in".

The winner had still not come forward this morning.

The brothers have been running the general store and Post Shop since August and opened the town's first Lotto franchise only in December. Before then Kaeo residents and those living in the district's scattered settlements had to head north to Mangonui or south to Kerikeri to pick up a ticket.

Mr Chand said the only other major prize sold from the shop was a $20,000 spending spree about three weeks after Lotto started in the town.

Last month, a burglar broke in at night and stole cigarettes.

Around the corner from the Four Square, Els Ericsson, manager of the White Swan tavern, said: "If anyone knows [who has won], no one's saying.

"No one's been shouting up anything," she said as about 30 patrons focused on a pool tournament between teams from Kaeo and Horeke.

Local resident Dover Samuels MP reckons the $18 million would be enough to buy up the town - "but it's not for sale as far as I know".

The winner may, of course, not be a local, but yesterday Kaeo, on rainswept State Highway 10, 110km north of Whangarei, was a town of sideways glances.

"I'm just amazed. It's pretty incredible for a town of 500 people to get New Zealand's biggest ever Lotto win," said Stephanie Lane, the Four Square's head Lotto ticket seller.

It's likely that she sold the winning $17,992,975 ticket, made up of a Powerball dividend of $17,702,362 and $290,613 from a share of Lotto first division.

"When I heard, I had faces go through my head for who it might have been but it's hard to tell," Stephanie Lane said.

Outside the shop, a local couple said if they had won all that money, it wouldn't change their lifestyle.

"I might want a holiday in the South Island. I haven't been down there," the man said.

"And another car probably."

In the tavern, pool players said they had no clues about the winner. Two of Kaeo's longest-established residents, John and Nola Wells, have lived in the town for 38 years.

Said Mr Wells: "Anyone with that sort of ticket wouldn't be running around, but we hope it's a local."

At the Whangaroa Big Gamefish Club, Whangaroa Motel proprietor Pam McIntyre had not yet checked her tickets but she was excited.

"I haven't heard a word, but if it's gone to a big worthy family it'll be shared around and that'll be good because it's a low socio-economic area here."

Across the road at the Marlin Hotel, the bar had just opened. "It's very quiet," the woman behind the bar said. "No one's celebrating. It's too soon yet. Something or someone might come out of the woodwork tomorrow though."

The greater Kaeo area serves small nearby communities in Totara North and Whangaroa and includes eastern coastal settlements at Tauranga Bay, Wainui, Te Ngaire and Matauri Bay.

Mr Samuels, who lives in Matauri Bay, said the win was fantastic news but he cautioned that the winner should get financial advice.

"We wouldn't want to see the whole town turned upside down for $18 million."

Far North Mayor Yvonne Sharp said it would be appropriate if the winner was someone local with a big family. It would be great if a whole family were to benefit in an area where big wealth was unusual.

New Zealand Lotteries deputy chief executive Warren Salisbury last night advised the winner to immediately write his or her name on the back of the ticket, keep it safe and contact the Wellington office.