Chatting Anime with British Expats, Learning the Caravan Realities, and an Emergency Bank Notification
After the frantic pace of our first three days in Melbourne—securing our Pajero and finalizing the vehicle transfer at VicRoads—our fourth day brought a mix of fascinating lifestyle insights, a minor heart attack, and incredibly comforting news.
It started in the morning at our Airbnb. For the first time, we ended up hanging out in the common area and chatting with our fellow housemates. They were a pair of guys from the UK who had just arrived in Australia to work as truck drivers. They were staying at this Airbnb for the next six weeks while attending a heavy vehicle licensing course nearby in Deer Park. Interestingly, even though they were fully licensed truck drivers back in the UK, those qualifications don’t automatically transfer over to Australia.
As we talked, we discovered they were huge anime fans. I asked them how they watched Japanese anime abroad, and they introduced me to a streaming service called Crunchyroll—something you rarely hear about back in Japan, but is apparently the absolute gold standard overseas. They also clearly loved cars. It was a great reminder of how universal hobbies like anime and car culture are; having a bit of knowledge in both areas made it so easy to bond and have a long, genuine conversation.
- Visiting a Caravan Dealership: Shifting Our Strategy to Pop-Tops
After checking out of the conversation, we headed over to a caravan dealership as planned. We didn’t have an appointment; we just wanted to get a real look at a caravan up close to start shaping an image of what our mobile life and towing setup would actually look like.
One thing we noticed since arriving in Melbourne is that you rarely see passenger cars towing caravans around the city center. Most locals drive smaller hatchbacks or sedans. Back in Japan, I had this image that everyone in Australia drove massive, rugged four-wheel drives, so realizing how tight city driving actually is added a bit of psychological pressure, knowing I’ll eventually be towing a massive rig through this traffic.
When we stepped onto the dealership lot, our very first impression of the brand-new caravans was unanimous: they are absolutely gargantuan. The idea of hitching one of these to the back of our Pajero and hitting the highway felt terrifying. Every single model we saw exceeded 8 meters in total length. Since they weren’t pop-top models, the roof height easily looked to be around 3 meters. Because they were brand new, the interiors were stunningly beautiful—featuring pristine beds, full-sized refrigerators, air conditioning, and stovetops. Every single model came equipped with a private shower and toilet. With their heavy-duty off-road tires, they sat incredibly high off the ground.
Seeing them in person was an eye-opener. It made us realize right away: “Okay, towing something this tall and heavy is going to be unrealistic for us. We definitely need to look for a pop-top model to keep the roof profile as low as possible, and we must stick strictly to a total length of around 5 meters.” It was a massive win because it gave us a crystal-clear criteria for our future search.
But then came the price shock. I spotted a price tag reading “100,000.” Blame it on my brain still translating numbers into Japanese Yen habits, but for a split second, I thought, “Wait, 100,000 Yen is only about $1,000 AUD… that’s insanely cheap! Is this a rental price?” I actually walked up to the dealer staff and asked, “Is this price for rentals only?” The staff member looked at me with a polite smile and replied, “No, that’s the outright purchase price.”
It was only then that the reality of the dollar sign kicked in. $100,000 AUD is a serious fortune—roughly 10 million Japanese Yen (considering 100,000 Yen is merely a drop in the bucket at around $1,000 AUD). It was a huge reality check on the exchange rate. But honestly, looking at the build quality and realizing it is literally a house on wheels, it felt like it was worth every cent.
- An Urgent SMS Notification and a Dash to the NAB Branch
On our way back from the dealership, an SMS notification popped up from NAB (National Australia Bank) that instantly sent us into a panic. The message stated that our physical bank cards had just been dispatched… to the address of our future long-term Airbnb.
We hadn’t even moved into that property yet! The current guests were likely still living there, meaning there was a massive risk that our cards would be intercepted, lost, or mistakenly taken by a stranger. I vividly remembered telling the teller during our branch setup on Day 2 that we wanted to collect the cards at the branch.
I immediately tried contacting NAB via their customer phone line, but couldn’t get through to a human. With no time to waste, we rushed into the nearest physical NAB branch. Thankfully, the face-to-face customer service was fantastic. After explaining the situation, the teller immediately blocked the dispatched cards to prevent any fraud and ordered a fresh set. They also adjusted the system so that the new cards would be securely held at the branch for counter pickup, promising to contact us the moment they arrived. A huge weight was lifted off our shoulders.
- Finding Hope at the Fresh Market and a Joyful Update from Quarantine
While calming our nerves at a nearby shopping mall, we stumbled upon a local Fresh Market. Looking at the price tags, we were absolutely shocked by how cheap the fresh produce was. They were selling 5 tomatoes for just $1 AUD, and a massive 2kg bag of potatoes for only $3 AUD. It was overwhelmingly cheaper than grocery shopping in Japan. Finding this market felt like discovering a hidden sanctuary. Australia has a notorious reputation for sky-high rent and expensive dining out. But we realized that if we offset accommodation costs by living in a caravan, and offset food costs by cooking at home using these cheap fresh ingredients, we could keep our living expenses incredibly low.
When we finally returned to our accommodation, the best news of the entire trip was waiting for us in our inbox. We received an official notification from the government animal quarantine facility: our beloved cat, BELL, had officially passed her mandatory health and biosecurity inspections upon arrival! For anyone moving pets to Australia, this is the biggest hurdle. Passing this post-entry inspection means the absolute worst-case scenarios—such as forced deportation back to Japan or immediate emergency medical intervention—are completely off the table. If any underlying health issues had been detected requiring treatment, her stay at the quarantine facility would have been automatically extended.
Knowing she cleared all these strict requirements and is completely healthy brought tears of relief to our eyes. She has been so incredibly brave throughout this long journey from Japan, and we just wanted to shower her with praise. We fell asleep that night watching videos of our sweet BELL.
What’s Next?
Tomorrow marks Day 5, and the hustle doesn’t stop. Now that we have a crystal-clear image of the caravan we need—a compact, low-profile pop-top around 5 meters long—we are shifting our strategy to the used market, actively reaching out to private sellers on Facebook Marketplace to find our true match. We’ll also be diving deeper into the job hunt and starting to source the essential supplies for BELL’s upcoming release. The momentum is building, and we are ready for whatever comes next!
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