The lucky Southlander became $17.25 million richer after winning Wednesday’s Powerball and first division prizes with a ticket bought on the MyLotto website.
It was the second-largest prize won in Southland.
The largest won in Southland was $20.5 million in November 2012, by a customer who bought their ticket from Windsor Stationery & Gifts.
A Lotto spokeswoman confirmed yesterday the lucky winner had already come forward to claim the prize, but the city was still left to speculate over how it would feel to win the jackpot.
Joiner Flin O’Halloran confessed just the thought of winning was a little overwhelming.
"Probably I would buy too many cars ... I wouldn’t even know where to start. I’d probably buy houses all over the world ... Go here to there whenever I want."
"To pass the time as you’d just get bored — wouldn’t you? When there was that much money."
Marketing consultant Carla Forbes said she would drive to the bottle store and buy some very expensive Champagne to celebrate and then she would be completely quiet.
"I would do my level best not to tell a single person and buy a [load] of property in Queenstown, Waihiki and Wanaka — and try keep it quiet."
Store owner Bernie Brown said he would be sharing the prize with loved ones.
"I would try and spread it out to make a difference to as many close people that I could, and I would also make a substantial donation to the Hawthorndale Care Village, which is a great project that’s well under way.
"And probably upgrade to first class on an overseas trip."
Ana Castillo (19) would buy a house and then splash a bit.
"Then I would travel around the world because I would like to know many places.
"I would go crazy ... and probably spend some money on food because I really like food."
Even Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark joined in, dreaming of what he’d do if he became a millionaire.
He joked he would buy the Otago Daily Times, but would wait to complete his election mandate before he went travelling overseas.
"Many people have said to me - if you won Lotto, would you give up this job? No, I wouldn’t. There is stuff that I need to get done.
"And [then I would] travel to a lot of places ... I’ve only been to about 35 countries, so that means there’s another 150 I would go to."
