Mat Plendl is a former world champion hula hoop artiste who tours with different shows and has just finished a four week stint at Jupiter's on the Gold Coast with Zircus.

Mr Plendl has a second claim to fame with the largest Mary Poppins memorabilia collection in the world that spans an entire room and a walk-in wardrobe.

Both of these world beating activities started for Mr Plendl when he was a child.

His love of Mary Poppins began at the tender age of four and the hula-hoop skills emerged when he was 10.

After Mr Plendl's parents divorced when he was very young, the story of Mary Poppins reflected his own family dynamic.

"I very much connected with the story in a personal way," Mr Plendl said.

"It was the first movie I saw when I was four so from an early age I had an awareness of it.

"A friend of my grandmother gave me a copy of Mary Poppins signed by P.L. Travers."

It was more than a personal connection for Mr Plendl, it was an inspiration.

"I was very artistic as a child and I was inspired by the artistry of the film," he said.

Mr Plendl's memorabilia collection started in 1977, but it wasn't until 1993 that he got serious about it.

"I met other collectors and saw how they hunted down their prey," Mr Plendl said.

What he learnt worked as his collection is now the biggest in the world.

In what is his first trip to Australia, Mr Plendl has been able to combine his two obsessions.

Between shows on the Gold Coast and in Sydney he has travelled to P.L. Travers' homes in Queensland and Bowral to become the first person to visit all the statues around the world.

Former world champion hula-hoop artiste and Mary Poppins afficianado Mat Plendl shows off his skills in front of the Mary Poppins statue in Bowral. Photo by Megan Drapalski