A Wollongong woman who had a $100,000 winning lottery ticket in her purse for weeks is now planning to retire early.
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The woman, who bought her ticket at Gwynneville, is now considering an overseas trip to visit family after winning the Super Jackpot draw on April 8.
It's just the best feeling ever," the winning woman told an official from The Lott.
"For years, I've been buying one number at a time into consecutive draws. I've won little bits and pieces, but this is the first substantial one.
"It's a bit hit and miss when I check my tickets - very sporadic. "I thought, 'I've got some tickets in my purse', so I decided to check them.
"I'd been carrying around one worth $100,000 for a couple of weeks unbeknownst to me."
She reckons the unexpected bounty will allow her to bring her retirement forward a year. She called that " very nice prospect to look forward to".
"It also means I can have a nice trip overseas to visit family. It just makes things easier."
And while she's reaping the rewards, for Gwynneville Post, Lotteries & Art Hub retail manager Nathan Haynes it's equally staggering.
"I had to reread the message a few times for it to sink in," he said.
"We have a very close-knit community and everyone gets excited when they win even a small amount, so knowing that we have a $100,000 winner means there will be plenty of happy faces all round.
"We've only sold two major prize winning tickets during the past eight years so this one is extra special for us all," Mr Haynes said.
