The lucky winner, who did not want to be named, had not realised he had won $1m until he checked his ticket using the self-checker at the Lotto counter at the supermarket on Saturday.
"I saw 'major prize winner' appear on the screen and was pretty stunned. The supermarket was busy, so I slipped back to my car and googled, 'what to do if you win Lotto'," the man said.
"I saw a comment from Lotto NZ saying to write your name on the back of the ticket immediately, so that's what I did."
Still sitting in his car in the supermarket carpark, the stunned man called his brother to check he had the right numbers and come up with a plan.
"My brother went online and double checked that I had the right draw, then read the winning numbers back to me as I carefully checked them off on my ticket. When I told him I had all six he got so excited and said: 'I'm pretty sure you've just won Lotto!'"
His brother suggested he return to the supermarket to claim the prize the next morning when the store would be quieter, with the man then tucking the winning ticket sitting safely in his wallet.
He returned to the store the next day to claim his $1m prize.
With his new-found fortune, the winner is looking forward to paying off his mortgage and taking a few more holidays.
"I'll definitely take my brother out for a drink when I see him next – we've definitely got to celebrate!"
The winning ticket was sold at Greymouth New World for last Wednesday's draw.
