I was also glad to see this being shown at the expo! Definitely an interesting unit to look at! Although I hoped to see a full Whelen package like the other units in New Zealand have. They have really cool setups.
St. John introduced this livery back in February, and reflects Maori culture, which I think is fantastic. Historically NZ has always made their own ambulances despite having a small population. I'm surprised they'd buy from a European supplier, and always wondered why they don't just buy Australian made ambulances. Many thanks for uploading this. It must have been odd to see an ambulance destined for a location some 18,000km away! I might have to book a trip to Rettmobil 2024.
Personally I also love this new livery and the fact that they put it on all new units. Seeing this NZ ambulance at the expo made me wonder where NZ got all their ambulances from in the past. It sure was special to see a vehicle destined for a country so far away. That would be a long and expensive trip just for the expo 😅 If you ever plan to visit Rettmobil on 2 or even all 3 days, book your hotel as early as possible. Accommodations in the city and surrounding area are typically booked out and super expensive. The expo is in desperate need of a new location.
@@Rummeltobi New Zealand ambulances were always made domestically using a variety of chassis, like DAF, Chevrolet, and over the last 20 years Mercedes Sprinter vans (same with Australia). I believe a company called Action Manufacturing have been making NZ ambulances of late. We usually visit Germany every five or so years and hire a motorhome to travel through Europe. As an Australian paramedic, I can claim a percentage of those travel expenses on my tax return (Steuererklärung) if I attend a work-related expo or fact-finding tour. A few years ago, I included a ride along with Berliner Feuerwehr in our travels.
The first truck in this livery was actually released in December 2021 and based in rotorua... there's been loads on the road way before February this year!
Although an indigenous Maori myself and the livery is impressive, I am not really a fan of it. It actually decreases the reflectiveness that the large green and yellow squares had making the vehicle less noticable when crossing an intersection which is actually a health and safety issue. It also makes it confusing. I would rather it looked more like an ambulance than a billboard for indigenous art - but thats just me.
my dad is a first responder, he as well as all his mates within st john don’t like this van mainly cause of the wall between the cabin and the back. probably won’t be long until they’re taken back lol.
