Invercargill Couple “stunned Mullets” After $17.25 Million Powerball Win

With the click of a button, an Invercargill couple’s lives changed forever after winning $17.25 million with Powerball First Division.

The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, are “still shocked. It’s turned our world upside down!”

The woman bought a Powerball ticket on MyLotto early Wednesday morning, but it wasn’t until after the draw that evening that she remembered to check it.

“I logged in and checked my ticket, not thinking about it. But when I saw my numbers line up, followed by the words ‘Major Prize Winner,’ I immediately showed my husband.

“I didn’t even really see how much it was, but he stared at the screen, looked at me, and said, ‘Do you know how much that is?’

“I was completely oblivious. I thought it said $17,000. When he told me it was 17 million, I just said, oh my gosh,” the woman said.

The man, on the other hand, thought he’d been pranked. “I kept asking her, ‘Is this a joke? You’re joking, right?”

After realising they were, in fact, New Zealand’s latest multi-millionaires, the couple sat like “stunned mullets” before bursting into laughter, followed by tears. “I’m surprised I didn’t have a heart attack!” the man joked.

The rollercoaster of emotions was hard to contain. “We struggled to keep a straight face in front of our children. They kept asking what was going on.

“We were buzzing – you could feel it in the air,” the man said.

After a sleepless night, the next day proved just as surreal. “I took a screenshot of the ticket and kept looking at it and smiling throughout the day. I must have looked like a madman!” the man said.

With their prize officially claimed, the couple are looking forward to the future.

“The win is going to help our family so much,” the woman said. “After everything calms down a bit, we’d like to celebrate somewhere nice with the kids, but we plan to keep working and living life like normal.”

“We honestly never thought this would happen. It’s amazing!” the woman said.

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