The man, who is in his 60s and wanted to remain anonymous, picked up the first prize after buying a ticket from Karuah Newsagency.

“Oh my God. Well, oh, that’s great. My heart is pounding like mad,” the man said when a Lotteries official phoned him yesterday morning.

Asked how he would spend the money, the man said “I might go on a cruise. My wife and I will have to think about what we’ll do with it. It’s a lot of money. This is the most we’ve ever had.”

The man who sold him the winning ticket said he was “delighted”.

“We’re a small, close-knit community here in Karuah. Everyone is always delighted to hear that someone locally has had some good luck. We’re very happy for the winner,” newsagent Warren Webster said.

“It’s great to know we’ve sold the winning ticket to someone in our community. It’s quite a thrill, and I look forward to selling more.”