"My mum died unexpectedly. I hadn't been back to the UK for 11 years although mum came here for our daughter's first birthday four years ago," he said.
"I decided while I was there that I might as well make it a business trip.
"I travelled all over, going to galleries and chatting to other ones via video. It was funny really because I went from Scotland, which is a bit slow, down the country to London which felt like going from first gear to fifth gear.":
He says 360,000 people visited the Sculpture Garden over the three months.
"I'm really chuffed to win this. The prize was $5000 which came in very handy with my unexpected trip. I think mum sorted me out," he laughed.
The sculpture is going to an exhibition at Eden Park and then to its new home in Nelson.
Colechin is working on a 6ft tall wild boar for a client who is a retired hunter.
"It will be wicked. I'm using recycled hunting things like possum traps.
"I'm also working on a collaboration with an architect from Wellington to possibly make sculptures as landmarks.
"It's going crackers at the moment."
Next year he is off to Dubai, Europe and the US — "it's all happening. It's really exciting."
