Head over high heels for a Beetle

However, adding to the hole in the ozone layer is allowed through the overuse of hair spray, as Vanessa prepares to be the hostess with the mostess at the Mardi Gras festival Drag Races next Friday from 5pm at Bondi Beach.

"We rope off a competition field area and it's a faux sporting event/drag queen event. Drag queens can show off their glamour and their physical prowess. It's a spectacle,'' Wagner says. ``We'll be taking points off for those wearing flat shoes. We'll be rewarding those brave enough to wear stilettos in the sand.''

Punters can expect anything from the clutch bag discus to the three-heeled race to competitive feminine posing. "I find the clutch bag discus riveting.  Sometimes it's the way some of the girls prepare which is the most exciting part. Sometimes the chuck or the throw can be a letdown, especially if the faux Chanel handbag straps snap.

"The three-heeled race has probably got the most drama. If the girls lose their rhythm it's catastrophic. The whole event is heaven.''  Her beloved VW bug Stella took her to many a Drag Race event. She reminisces fondly about her VW, which sadly, is no longer with us.

"When I was young I was quite fascinated by cars. Between glamorous performances and housewife duties such as baking cupcakes, I was quite fond of Wheels magazine,'' Wagner says.  "I loved the racy colours and shapes of the cars back in the '70s."

"I purchased Stella in 1999 when I was in the midst of a big stage production for the Mardi Gras festival back then called Vanessa Wagner's History Of Dance. It was my chance to explore 50 million years of dance history in 75 minutes. I needed a car to run around in and pick up props and costumes.  I bought Stella second-hand from some fellow in Castle Hill. I paid $2800 -- which was a fortune back then."

"Stella was a lovely white 1972 VW. She was fat with the original hubcaps, which I was very fond of. Stella's inaugural road trip for me was from inner-city Sydney to Ballina and Byron Bay. I was following a mate who was in his 1976 white Kombi called Kimba.  Kimba and Stella did the Pacific Highway together and it was a most joyous experience. 

"It was a glamorous coincidence that I shared the same initials as my car. I've always loved the shape of a VW bug, they're a classic, beautiful vehicle. Even though some of my mechanics would grumble `Hitler's curse' under their breath -- that was just water off a duck's back for me."

"She was a fabulous car -- and almost a 4WD. I live near the beach and Stella could crawl over a little bit of sand.  There was never any embarrassing breakdowns in Stella except when I was picking a DJ friend up from Coolangatta for one of my parties. We were racing back down the Pacific Highway to Byron Bay and she did blow a hole in her left, front stocking!"

"At 100km/h that was quite frightening. She didn't panic -- we managed to pull over on to the shoulder but my DJ friend was a little worse for wear, a little bit frightened. I had complete faith in Stella.  I haven't rolled her but I've been told from some well-informed people that during WWII, if those old Bugs ever rolled, you could roll them back on to their wheels easily because of the shape of their roof. Fortunately I never got into that conundrum."

"I had no major incidents with Stella, she was a very trustworthy car. She never made me cross and never got angry when a dog peed on her." 

"Stella went to her graveyard in a place called Stokers Siding, a very glamorous spot in the Northern Rivers region. Poor Stella was getting a bit of car cancer - she had some rust and it would've cost a lot of money to look after her. It was cheaper to put her down. I didn't have to get Nembutal from Mexico - it was all done above board and within Australian law.''