Kawerau woman shares the emotional moment she realized her Lotto ticket won part of the $55 million Powerball jackpot

​A woman from Kawerau has shared the simple but life-changing moment when she realised she had won a share of the $55 million Powerball jackpot.

This special draw took place on November 15 and was one of Lotto New Zealand’s rare “must-be-won” draws. The prize was split between three winners, with each receiving a little over $18.3 million.

The moment she checked her ticket

The woman, who wants to stay anonymous, bought her ticket at New World Kawerau. She remembered standing in a long line and hearing people around her talk about what they would do if they won. Everyone seemed excited, but she never expected that she would actually be one of the winners.

On Monday morning, she finally sat down to check her ticket. She started with the Powerball number because she knew she had number six. When it matched, she felt a small spark of hope.

Then she slowly circled the rest of the Lotto numbers. One by one, all the numbers matched. She said that was the moment she realised this might actually be happening.

Feeling stunned and a little shaky, she went to have coffee with her mum to calm down. She told her, “Mum, I think I’m the big winner,” and her mum burst out laughing, thinking she was joking.

Confirming the win at the store

Still unsure, she took her ticket to the store to confirm it. She handed it to the operator and mentioned that it “might be a big prize.” When he scanned it and looked up at her with a big smile, she finally knew it was real. That moment made everything sink in.

Sharing the news with her family

Later that evening, she invited her family over. She didn’t explain why, only saying nothing bad had happened. One of her children said they already had a feeling something important was going on. When they arrived, she greeted them with a huge smile. When asked, “Have you won Lotto or something?” she simply replied,

“Yes, I have.”

Her family said it was a moment they will never forget. She said sharing the news made her feel lighter and relieved.

A week after the draw, people in Kawerau were still talking about the mystery winner. She said it felt strange hearing her own story in town while pretending everything was normal. She tries to remind herself that she is still an ordinary person living an ordinary day.

She plans to help her family with the money and also donate to charities close to her heart. She wants to take her time and make thoughtful choices.