Some notes by the artist:

The van was prepared by Glenn to my instructions with yellow and white areas. It was painted over three days with little in the way of preparatory drawings. Glenn and Art gave ladder and scaffold assistance and back up. The roof was painted by Glenn from my drawing. The front Māori words were added by Glenn after consultation with Raymond, our Māori advisor.

I had a general idea of a taniwha and two appear on either side. Eyes appear on the front with small figures implying a wide breadth of NZ including its Treaty partner and Pacifika. The back doors have diagonal fern fronds inspired by stripes on real ambulances .

On the passenger side the words 'The ambulance at the top of the cliff' appear as an idea given to me - as do a heart and a medical cardiogram. A female doctor with a stethoscope stands by a woman in a wheelchair. A man in hospital is attended by a nurse. Various trigger words to do with the health system are scattered around. Death and a depressed person appear.

On the driver side a man in a black singlet and a large ruru appear with medical symbols and the name of the website. Several women and a pleading sick child appear.

Hope and acknowledgement of the Rainbow community is a reading of the rainbow as are several symbols. A glass of clear water by driver's door was idea given by Raymond. Glenn and Art have poem lines selected by the artist.

In general appearance this van work is expressive and loose flowing on the set backgrounds. It draws on the artist’s medical and artistic experiences. Most commercial vans you see around are slickly painted and ambulances employ empty patterns to stand out. This van was designed to be joy and gloom eye catching in a different storey board way where an audience can respond to different parts and relate it to personal experience.

Nigel Brown