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Woman Wins $75,000 Flying From ChCh To Welly
Woman Wins $75,000 Flying From Christchurch To Wellington
It was the best flight of her life for a woman who won $75,000 on her way from Christchurch to Wellington, New Zealand Lotteries Commission (NZ Lotteries) Chief Executive Trevor Hall says.
The winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, first thought she had won $5,000 on the $4 Instant Kiwi Scrabble ticket that she bought at Christchurch Airport Bookshop.
"I was so excited on the plane that I stuffed the ticket in my handbag. I just couldn't look at it anymore. If I had realised the amount that I had really won, I don't know what I would have done.
"I don't like flying and I bought [the ticket] as my friend had one with her to help pass the time and I thought 'what a good idea'."
The winner says she was dumbstruck when claiming her prize at Whitcoulls Wellington Airport and staff told her she had actually won $75,000.
"They said I had to fill out a Prize Claim Form and asked me 'What's your name?', I was so shocked I went totally blank at first."
The winner, an occasional Instant Kiwi player, says that she will use her winnings to pay off her mortgage.
On average $1 million is won on Instant Kiwi prizes each week.
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