• Two families became millionaires 17 minutes apart on Monday after scratching winning Instant Kiwi tickets bought in Ōamaru and Wellsford. 
• One couple celebrated their lottery win with McDonald’s and penguin-watching, and now plan to buy their own home. 
• The second family want to pay a chunk off their mortgage and invest for their future. 

Two families at opposite ends of the country became millionaires 17 minutes apart on Monday after scratching winning Instant Kiwi tickets. 

A couple were the first Monday millionaires after claiming their prize at Ōamaru’s New World Waitaki, where they’d bought the ticket two days earlier - and the husband had kept their good fortune secret since because he feared it wasn’t true. 

The couple celebrated with a feed of Maccas while watching the wildlife at the Ōamaru blue penguin colony and dreaming about their new future - top of the list, buying a home of their own. 

“It means we can buy a home for our family, and that feels wonderful, we feel so blessed,” the man said. 

He’d bought a ticket while they were shopping for groceries, before scratching it while his wife went to watch the penguins on their way home. 

The man realised he’d won, but tucked the ticket away as his wife came back to their car. 

“[At home] I went straight to our room and put the ticket under our mattress - I wanted to be sure it was a winner before I told anyone.” 

Over the next couple of days, the man couldn’t stop thinking about the winning ticket. 

“Every time we got home, the first thing I did was check it was still where I’d left it.” 

On Monday, he told his wife they needed to pick up something from the supermarket. 

“I told her I’d only be a minute, but it was about an hour before I returned, and as I walked back to the car I could see she was not happy with me. So I held up the claim form and the little receipt that had $1,000,000 stamped on it and told her we had won. 

“She burst into tears and kept saying, ‘Is this real? Are you joking me?’” 

To celebrate, the couple bought McDonald’s and went back to watch the penguins and talk about their win, he said. 

“That’s where it started, down by those penguins, so it felt right to go back there. We chatted about our future and the difference this win will make in our lives.” 

Just 17 minutes after the first winner claimed their prize, another call came through to Lotto NZ’s headquarters – there was another Instant Kiwi millionaire, this time a family in the North Island. 

The woman and her family bought their ticket at Woodys Winners in the North Auckland town of Wellsford while travelling to see family for the school holidays. 

“My husband saw all the ‘big winner’ signs up at the store and said we should grab a ticket for the Powerball draw. When he came back out I saw he’d also bought a scratchie.” 

The family continued their journey, only remembering the tickets the next day. 

“I scratched the ticket from right to left, so the zeroes showed up first, and when I saw it was a million I was speechless. We told our family and celebrated with a glass of bubbles – everyone was so happy for us. 

“Later that night in bed, I remembered the ticket was in my handbag, which was in the lounge, so I quickly got up and brought my bag to the bedroom – and slept with it right by my bed.” 

Two Kiwi families have won big of Instant Kiwi scratchie tickets this week. Photo / John Cowpland 

The woman claimed their prize the next day at Ruakākā Lotto Post & Gift Shop in Ruakākā. 

The family are going to use the money to pay a chunk off their mortgage and invest for their future, she said. 

Both families wanted to remain anonymous. 

It’s the first time in Instant Kiwi’s history two millionaires had been confirmed in one day, Lotto NZ’s head of corporate communications Will Hine said. 

“To put this into perspective, two Instant Kiwi players have won million-dollar prizes in the past two years, so to have another two joining them within the space of an hour is remarkable.” 

The winning tickets were from two different Instant Kiwi ticket options – Mega Million and Millionaire Riches, Hine said.