Elsie Stewart, a proud Biripi woman living on Awabakal Country in Newcastle, is preparing to hit the road for her seventh year in the Variety NSW Bash.

Alongside her best friend Lauren and their beloved car, 'Valerie the Volvo', Ms Stewart is one of few women taking part in what she describes as a male-dominated event.

The Variety Bash is Australia's longest-running charity motoring event, raising funds for kids in need.

The convoy gathers more than 650 cars, travelling around 3600km across the country.

Ms Stewart and her crew will be fundraising again this year, supporting children with special needs and helping schools access vital equipment.

"We raise money for special needs kids and for equipment to go into schools," she said.

"All of the fundraising that we do, we're then driving around and presenting the checks on the Bash."

But Ms Stewart said the impact goes beyond financial support.

"We take gifts, boxes of seeds, native plants – so the kids can plant them themselves."

This year's fundraiser has just launched.

"If anyone would like to donate to Valerie the Volvo, that would be great," she said.

Valerie – a bright 90s-style Volvo with 'DE4DLY' plates, Mickey Mouse interior and 'You Go Girl' along the sides – has become a favourite among Bash participants.

"She's like a really heavy lounge chair – she slogs," Ms Stewart said.

"We'll always get there, but we're usually at the back."

That reputation has turned into community support.

"People used to hate being behind us, but now everyone looks after us.'

The car was bought on a whim – on Lauren's wedding night – after Ms Stewart approached Lauren's father on the dancefloor.

"I said, all the boys in the office get to go on this Bash. I want a girls' car," she said.

"He said, 'What kind of car do you want?' and I was like, 'A Volvo.' He pulled out CarSales on the spot and bought it."

Ms Stewart said the first few years were tough.

"At first we were like, 'what are we doing?'," she said.

"It's a lot of suits, middle-aged white men, and not many women - especially not many black women."

"But now, they're like family."

The Bash is hard work, with early mornings, cold nights and long drives.

"It's a hard slog. A lot of people think you just sit in a car and drive, but it's freezing and you've got to turn up to schools with a smile"

Still, it's the people that keep her coming back.

"The camaraderie and the people you meet – it's amazing."

Some memories are less glamorous.

"I'll never forget the year the courtesy bus forgot to pick us up after a party," she said.

"We had to sleep outside by a fire in the freezing cold. You couldn't pay me to do that again."

Last year, Valerie experienced mechanical trouble for the first time – and Ms Stewart blames one decision.

"We let a man drive her, and she fell apart a few times," she laughed.

But help wasn't far away as people literally pulled parts out of their cars and drove them six hours so they could finish.

Ms Stewart, a board member of the not-for-profit The Glennie Project, said the Bash has also become a platform to push for inclusion.

"I remember one of the first years asking why there was no Acknowledgement of Country," she said.

"At the time it was a bit awkward, but now they do it.

"One year, local men came and did a smoking ceremony for us before we left and it was amazing."

For Ms Stewart, who describes herself as "loud and unapologetically Black and female," Valerie is more than a car.

"She represents two of my favourite things – being a woman and being Black," she said.