SURVIVING LONDON | Author of An Aussie’s Survival Guide to London, Bianca Soldani, offers us all her tips and tricks for Australian newcomers to London in an exclusive new column. First problem to solve: London transport.

HEADING HOME | Australian Matthew Wood is set to swap the grey skies of London, for the stark setting of Australia’s Red Centre – with a new post as Artistic Director of the Darwin Symphony Orchestra and a symphonic concert at iconic Uluru.

On Thursday 9 May 2013 all Australian orchestra Ruthless Jabiru, led by conductor Kelly Lovelady, put on a remarkable and moving performance to a gathered crowd of both Australian and UK supporters at Australia House.

AUSSIE TIMES TOUGH MUDDER ATTEMPT | In a sheer moment of insanity five months ago I signed up for the North London Tough Mudder race. On the weekend of 4-5 May at Boughton House in Kettering, the day of reckoning finally arrived.

The designer of the Australian garden at this month’s prestigious Chelsea Flower Show has promised the nation’s most impressive entry yet.

EDINBURGH EXPAT | If there is one thing we do too little of in contemporary daily life, it is convulsing our naked, crudely painted bodies around a giant burning sculpture to the sound of aggressively beaten drums.

THE EXPAT FACTOR | Kelly Lovelady is the founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of London’s all-Australian chamber orchestra, Ruthless Jabiru. With an incredible passion for music Kelly has an ambitious creative vision for the orchestra which is on the verge of being realised. The upcoming concert at Australia House marks an exciting moment for Kelly, the Australian members of the orchestra, and the Aussie expat community in the UK who have the opportunity to witness and support what will be a world-class performance.

THE EXPAT FACTOR | Paul Smith is an elected councilor on Islington Council and currently the only Australian citizen who is an elected person in the UK. Paul has previously been involved in a number of Labour members election campaigns in the UK, including Ed Miliband. Paul is also President of ALP Abroad, Australian Labor’s International Supporters’ Network for the over one million Australians who live, work and study overseas.

Australia Shop has discounted all of its stock ahead of the final closing of its doors on Saturday 27 April.

EDINBURGH EXPAT | Learning to love … layers. The art of staying warm in unseasonably cold weather is one every Australian must learn when moving to the UK.

Dating in London as an Australian can be as terrifying as moving to… say, Greece, without speaking the language. Bestselling author and ex-Aussie expat in London Lana Penrose shares her London dating experiences; from vampire, to crack addict to being rejected by Russell Brand.

THE EXPAT FACTOR | Rugby legend Michael Lynagh won the World Cup with the Wallabies and captained the team from 1993-1995. He survived 72 internationals but perhaps his toughest test has been making what he calls a ‘miraculous’ recovery from a life threatening stroke. Now just one year since the fright Lynagh is preparing to participate in the London Marathon, raising money for the Stroke Association. He took time out to fill us in on the story.

London’s all Australian chamber orchestra, Ruthless Jabiru, will perform at Australia House in London on 9 May 2013.

The Australia Shop in London has long been a beacon for homesick Aussie expats. In a shock announcement this week, after 35 years of trading it will close the doors of its retail store in Covent Garden.

Ahead of her performances at the London Burlesque Festival in May, Miss Strawberry Siren, a highly acclaimed cabaret artist from Australia, is proving that when it comes to burlesque, there are no rules.

THE EXPAT FACTOR | Kathy Lette is an Australian author who has lived in London for over 20 years. Kathy has written a number of bestselling books including Puberty Blues, How to Kill Your Husband (and Other Handy Household Hints), To Love, Honour & Betray, Mad Cows and Foetal Attraction. Her latest book, The Boy Who Fell to Earth, is released in the UK on 11 April.

EDINBURGH EXPAT | The Edinburgh International Science Festival looks to the future as it celebrates its 25th birthday.

MOVE TO AUSTRALIA | For Europeans, the allure of Oz means better work opportunities and a more balanced lifestyle. Cristina Neagu, a Romanian living in the UK, is planning on joining her British partner in Australia this year. She explains their decision to relocate.

CHRIS’S KITCHEN | From the kitchen of Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, CHRIS ARAKDIEFF shows us a fresh twist on a staple vegetable that brings new life and colour to your table.