‘My husband cried’: Ashburton family that won $28m on Lotto plan to buy first home

Thursday, 11 June 2026

An Ashburton family that won $28.6 million on Lotto say it means they can fulfil a long-held dream of buying a home.

The family, who wish to remain anonymous, last week won the Powerball First Division prize of $28 million, as well as three Lotto First Division wins each worth $200,000.

They realised they were the winners the next day.

“It was the talk of the town,” said the woman. “Everyone was asking each other if they were the winner and talking about what they’d do if they won.

“I never thought it would be us… but I couldn’t shake this strange feeling for most of the day.”

Later that afternoon, her daughter sent a message asking whether she had checked her ticket.

“She asked me if I knew someone in town had won, and if I’d checked our ticket. I said, ‘no, it’s at home, I’ll check it later.’”

“We checked the numbers, and sure enough…they were ours.

“It was such a mix of emotions all at once – my husband cried and none of us knew what to do with ourselves.”

They claimed the win on Friday.

“We’re still very much in shock and overwhelmed with the prize. We’re so incredibly grateful for what this is going to do for us, our family and future,” said the woman’s daughter.

They know they have many decisions ahead, but they’re taking things slowly – with one dream locked in.

“There is so much to think about – we want to enjoy our lives and help others – but it all needs a lot of thought.

“The only thing we know for certain right now is that we will be able to buy our first home. It’s something we’ve always talked about and now it’s possible.”

The winning ticket was sold at Four Square Netherby in Ashburton. The prize is the largest prize won in the Canterbury town.