SS Great Britain and the world's first suspension bridge 16 July 2011

I'm a bit behind on my blogging as our stay in Bristol has been teeming with lots of activities. It really is wonderful being able to stay with family because it is really home away from home. Our travel takes us this time of a tour of Bristol. Compared to Auckland it is a relatively smaller town with less crowds. However, in this old shipping town we found some of the greatest inventions of the industrial age!

In Bristol, you can find the world's first suspension bridge.

The bridge spans the Avon Gorge which was a shipping passage during the time of the industrial age. This bridge was to become a working model for many other bridges around the world.

Here is a photo of the boys climbing dangerously close to the Cliff to take a good shot!

The bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel at the age of 24.

A view from the bridge.

There is a charity fundraiser for the local zoo using these gorillas. Pretty English right!

This is not the end you will hear of Brunel. He also actively participated in many other great invention of his period. We got to see another one of these in the afternoon. The SS Great Britain.

This is another first in the world. An Iron hulled, steam powered transatlantic ocean liner in the world. When it was first completed, it must have been quite a sight as this ship will have been a lot greater in size and speed compared with it's contemporaries.

It was also one of the first to utilize screw propulsion iron propeller (also designed by Brunel). Today this design is still used for modern day propellers.

Many immigrants to Australia during the gold digging times got there via the SS Great Britain. The ship has been used as a passenger liner, carrier during the first and second world war, coal ship, and warehouse before being sank on the coast of Falkland Islands as it was no longer sea worthy. It took many years to restore the ship to it's former glory, although no longer able to sail, it is beautiful nevertheless and highly educational for future generations.

This is the conserved bottom of the ship. A glass sea is used as a roof on the dry dock and humidity is monitored to prevent further rusting.

On deck the SS Great Britain.

Second class traveller! (ie business class)

Dining Room for the elite. I read that third class passengers mainly only got porridge and sea biscuits, but first class got a big long list to choose from! Life must have been very different on board this ship for the 18months to Australia depending on your class.

The steam engine pistons from the middle of the ship.

Here is another view of the glass sea from the top. I absolutely love the creativity of it's design!

We headed back to my uncle's takeaway for dinner. Look at these shrimps!






We went out to see Kungfu Panda in the evening. Its not as awesome as the first one but still really entertaining.

This is us at Nick's place.

 He has an electrical fire! Loving it!

Location:Hayward Rd,,United Kingdom