The main drag in Greytown, one of the towns that sold a winning ticket. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
Word around town is that the winner of a $19.1 million lotto ticket sold in Greytown is a local.
Residents were tight-lipped this morning about who the winner could be but said they'd heard who the winner was one of the during a visit to one of the local coffee shops.
"I just got a coffee and the news will travel fast in Greytown, it's a small town," said Shelley Johnson.
Members of the quaint Wairarapa town with a population of about 2000 are hoping the winner will put some of the money back into their community.
"Our school needs new classrooms. If I won the money I would probably buy a new classroom for the school," Johnson said.
"Everybody just hopes that it's somebody generous and maybe somebody that might put a card behind the top pub for a night out for us all."
Everyone has an idea what the money could be spent on - a local vicar says the church could do with some funds, while another woman says a recreation area for kids and teens would be great for the town.
"A lot of kids here don't have a skate park," said Diane Lucas, the customer services manager at Fresh Choice, where the winning ticket was sold.
"I kind of like to think that they would put something back into the community."
Lucas said she was "buzzing" this morning after news of the big win.
"It's almost like I won it myself. I haven't checked my ticket yet, maybe I'm the winner."
She said there were plenty of people passing through the town for Toast Martinborough, so there was a chance the winner was one of them.
"Greytown has the most beautiful boutique shops to invest in for your home ... This is a beautiful little fabulous town and the people are amazing and I think that the fact that it is possibly staying within Greytown is a huge, big thing."
Warkworth
Warkworth man Brian Palmer would share the prize with his family first, then charity, if he won. Photo / Nick Reed
A number of Warkworth locals were disappointed this morning after checking their Lotto ticket, only to discover it wasn't the golden one.
Many hoped the big prize had gone to someone from the town, instead of one of the many people commuting through.
Some joked the money should go towards fixing Hill St intersection - a well known bottleneck that blocks up SH1 traffic for hours on a busy day.
New World owner operator Anna Carmichael called the win "mind-boggling". In the four years she had owned the supermarket they've never had a win more than $30,000.
Her only suggestion to the lucky Lotto player was to get some solid financial advice.
"Where would you start? It'll set up generations to come in their family.
"It'd be great if they share the love."
Carmichael said her staff were thrilled with the win.
Last night the butchers had bought a ticket and flaunted their potential money maker. This morning her husband had messaged them to ask if they'll be at work "or do I need to be on the knives?"
Local resident Brian Palmer, 83, thought it was great a little town like Warkworth had scooped the win.
"A lot of the big wins are in the central places like Christchurch and the outlying places make up the money.
"I'm very pleased to get one here in Warkworth. It makes people more interested in what's going on around here."
Palmer hoped the winner would spend their money kindly by helping their family or charities.
If Palmer won he would share it with family, buy a car and a small house then donate the remainder to the Salvation Army, Coastguard and the Westpac helicopter.
"I would certainly be very happy."
Carmichael and Palmer are two of the 5000 people who call Warkworth, the town an hour north of Auckland, home.
Keith Conning, from Kaipara Flats, said the winner could be anyone as thousands of people come through the town for holidays and work.
If he won he'd take care of those nearest and dearest to him first, then donate the rest to the Heart Foundation and IHC.
"I just hope it goes to someone local or needy.
"Family comes first. And I come from a big family."
Warkworth was founded by John Anderson Brown in 1853. Once the Government had surveyed the land Brown and his daughter Amelia bought 234 acres, sectioned it into streets then offered it for sale in an Auckland newspaper.
Brown had named the town after the village of Warkworth, Northumberland, where one of his relatives had taught for many years.
• $30m Powerball - Taupo - September 2017 • $36.8m Big Wednesday prize - Masterton - June 2009 • $$30.25m Powerball - Taupo - September 2017 • $28.7m Powerball - Papakura - October 2010 • $27m Big Wednesday prize - Tauranga September 2012 • $33m Powerball prize - West Auckland - September 2013 • $44m Powerball prize - Dairy Flat - November 2016
Lotto records
Largest prize The largest prize won by a single ticket was $44,066,667, in the Powerball draw of November 9, 2016. The winning ticket was sold at Dairy Flat Food Mart in Auckland.
Most tickets sold The greatest number of tickets sold for a draw was for the aforementioned Powerball draw of November 9, 2016.
Most winners The record for the most First Division winners in one draw was set on September 11, 1993, when 38 people won First Division. Each winner received $35,937. The main contributing factor was all the winning numbers were between 31 and 38, with the bonus number the only number to fall outside the group, 11.
