A Cromer man's morning ritual of reading the paper, having a cup of coffee and playing an Instant Scratch-Its ticket came with a dash of surprise after realising he'd scored a top prize of $1.5 million.
The Northern Sydney resident's $30 Instant Scratch-Its ticket was purchased at Wheeler Heights Newsagency, Shop 2/178 South Creek Road, Cromer.
When we spoke with the instant winner, he was still struggling to wrap his head around the enormity of his prize.
"I'm still waiting for it to feel real," he laughed.
"What I do is, I go and get a coffee, the paper and an Instant Scratch-Its ticket. It's a little routine I have to stretch the mind.
"The most I've won is about $150 so I couldn't believe it when I scratched it. I had to go into the light and double check what I was seeing.
"I showed my wife, who doesn't play, so she needed some convincing. Then we headed to the newsagency. Even they couldn't believe it either. It's pretty amazing."
With $1.5 million heading his way, the gleeful man had already been brainstorming how he'd use it.
"We'll be able to do some things around the house and help the children out," he said.
"Thank you so much! Once it's in the bank account, we'll celebrate!"
