free rego for people with a pension card - that sounds like an urban myth.

for the OP, spiltting WHEN the rego is due again, sounds a good plan. Could you register one car for three months, the other car for six months?

have you rung the relevant department, to ask them about part payments, scheduled repayments etc. Financial counsellors have told me that utility companies are good about this (if you contact them BEFORE bill is due), so i hope the rego place is too (for your sake).