The sounds, smells and tastes of home lay in wait for festival-goers at the Olympia exhibition centre in Kensington, west London, where up to 5 000 expats a day were expected to party away and fight the homesickness.
The three-day event, focusing on Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in turn, is an occasion where expats can taste the food, wine and beer they miss and see some well-loved rock stars, rugby players and comedians.
"It's a chance to get together, to celebrate home, eat food and drink wines from home and see big bands from home too," organiser Arran Whitney, 38, told AFP.
"It's a great opportunity to see a lot of people because these are quite small, tight-knit communities, so there's every chance you'll see someone you know and its a chance for people who've been travelling to catch up and indulge in the good of home.
"It's one of the highlights on the social calendar," the New Zealander said as the smell of sizzling meat filled the air and wine corks popped.
'People will have a great time'
"We're reknowned for being very social beasts and people will have a great time."
The Toast festival has been running for eight years. Originally purely a New Zealand event, the Australia day is in its fourth year and a third South African day has been added for 2008.
This year's festival is also the first to be held indoors - the British weather forcing a switch from London's Regent's Park after a string of washouts.
Revellers drifting round Olympia could have a go at boxing in giant kangaroo suits, munch some pies, dimmies and dried kudu, blow on a didgeridoo and try their luck at rugby, soccer and snowboarding challenges.
Recruitment firms offered their services to new arrivals, while agencies tried to tempt Britons to consider emigrating.
"I've been away from home for 12 months now so it's good to come down here and get amongst it." said auctioneer Brendan McMahon, 26, from Avoca Beach on Australia's Central Coast.
"We've come to get a taste of home. Last time I had a crocodile pie was in Kempsey," he told AFP.
His travel buddy Shane Bardsley, 26, said he was hunting out a crocodile kebab.
"I've haven't seen one in London. And you can get Australian beer here, I haven't had a Coopers Pale Ale in a while now."
Friday's Australia day sees kangaroo hotpot, buffalo sanga and barramundi and chips on the menu, with Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes, Tyrone Noonan and Brooke Supple on the stage.
New Zealand takes over Saturday with lamb stew, green lip mussels and venison kumara skewers being served up, rugby stars Zinzan Brooke and Dan Carter giving out tips and Supergroove performing in Britain for the first time in 15 years.
'I've got what I came for'
On Sunday, Just Jinjer, Freshlyground and Arno Carstens take to the stage, with springbok potjie, Boerwors rolls, bobotie and koeksisters on the menu and comedian Paul Snodgrass holding court.
The festival also gave away free tickets to anyone sacked at US investment bank Lehman Brothers during last week's financial crisis.
Many Australians were using Friday's event to get warmed up for the Australian Rules Football Grand Final, which kicks off in Melbourne on Saturday at 5:30 am London time (0430 GMT).
"I've got a plain meat pie and a glass of rose, I've got what I came for," said Australian nurse Nadine Holfter, 23.
"When Jimmy Barnes gets on the stage it'll all go off."
Her colleague Angela Dent, 26, who had trawled the stalls, added: "I've got a frisbee, which I'm pretty excited about, and a pink stubbie cooler.
"I've been here for a month and it's good to hang out with some Aussies."
