The 51 hour private pilot said he flared too high and the airplane bounced during a hard landing. After one bounce of approximately five to eight feet the airplane landed nose gear first, and the nose gear collapsed. There was substantial damage to the forward firewall, but no injuries to the pilot and the passenger. The pilot had only four hours of experience in this type airplane, including only one hour of instruction given four months previously. He said that he should have insisted on additional instruction in that specific make and model airplane.