Aussie couple come forward to claim $14million prize after living in a caravan

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By JOANNA HYNDS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA 00:21 09 Oct 2026, updated 00:28 09 Oct 2026

A Victorian family of six who spent almost three years travelling around Australia in a caravan have won a stunning $14.4million Gold Coast penthouse.

Michelle, her husband Tim and their four children packed up their lives in Victoria during the Covid-19 pandemic and set off around Australia in a caravan, choosing to spend their time travelling and exploring the country together.

The family had only been back in Victoria for four days after their years on the road when Michelle received the call informing her of the life-changing win.

‘I was on my lunch break and checked my phone and had three missed calls and a text message, so I thought, “This person really wants to get hold of me” and so I called back,’ she told Nine.com.au.

Michelle was contacted by Dream Home Art Union general manager Ben Sawkins, who initially revealed she had won $50,000 worth of gold before telling her there was an even bigger prize waiting.

‘Then he launched into, “That’s not all you’ve won” and he told me all about this apartment that we’ve won up here on the Gold Coast,’ she said.

‘I couldn’t really quite comprehend it. It was very overwhelming and I think it’s still a little overwhelming.’

That evening, Michelle and Tim celebrated with a whisky before calling their family to share the news.

The couple from Greater Melbourne are now the owners of a five-bedroom property overlooking Rainbow Bay Beach and Snapper Rocks.

‘We have dreamed, because that’s what you do when you buy these tickets, but I didn’t actually expect it to ever happen,’ Michelle said.

The home includes multiple living spaces, a balcony with ocean views and amenities including a pool.

Earlier this month, the family spent a week at their prize-winning property on the Gold Coast, enjoying a holiday there with their parents and children.

‘We’ve been spending hours just sitting on the balcony watching the whales migrate,’ Michelle said.

Despite the extraordinary windfall, the family has no plans to make the Gold Coast their permanent home. Instead, they plan to sell the property and use some of the proceeds to build a new home in Victoria.

‘We will sell it and that will help us to realise our dreams of building our dream home… but it won’t be worth $14million,’ Michelle said.

The family also hopes to invest the remaining money, provide for their four children and help others.

‘Anything can happen, but the plan is that hopefully we invest wisely and that we will be able to live off the fund, set our kids up but also bless other people,’ Michelle said.

Michelle had been purchasing tickets in the Dream Home Art Union raffle for around two years before the surprise win.

She said the fact the lottery supports Australian veterans and their families was one of the reasons she enjoyed taking part.

‘I like the idea that you support the veterans and returning service personnel when they’re back,’ she said.

‘We know people who’ve come back and find life fairly difficult sometimes, and it’s good to know that there are people out there supporting them.’

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