Glamping Might Be Coming to Queensland's Big Pineapple
Sleep in the shadow of the Sunshine Coast's massive monument to tropical fruit.
What's big, spiky and attracts tourists from all over? Whether you grew up in the shadow of one of south-east Queensland's great tourist attractions, made the trek to the Sunshine Coast to marvel an oversized fake fruit, or always thought you'd snap a pic next to the pineapple to end all pineapples, you know the answer. Soon, however, you might be able to do more than just visit, take photos, browse the markets, meet some monkeys and eat the sweet, juicy food in question — you might be able to sleep there.
Yes, glamping could be coming to the one and only Big Pineapple. If that's not news that'll make you hightail it to Nambour, then we don't know what is. With the iconic site under new ownership, the folks in charge are thinking big — well, bigger than the previous owners did, including the people responsible for building such a massive monument to a particular tropical fruit. Among the additions mooted for the 165-hectare site: a family fun park, an RV park, walking trails, outdoor sport and recreation facilities, and fancy, fancy tents so that you can stay the night.
The plans are designed to help bring the Big Pineapple back to its former glory, with the 16-metre-high attraction's tourist trade not quite at previous booming levels. Since opening in 1971, the heritage-listed fruit tower has seen a few changes, opening and closing over the years, undergoing several revamps, and introducing the annual Big Pineapple Music Festival in 2013.
"What we want to do is make a food-based and eco-tourism-based destination that incorporates the existing big pineapple, but adds other things ... and has outlets for local produce," co-owner Peter Kendall told ABC Sunshine Coast. "There's rainforest on the land that would lend itself to eco-walks [and] we've talked about things like zip lining."
Existing favourites, such as the animal hospital and train, will be retained. And, for anyone who feels strongly about just what the Big Pineapple should add to the site, an open day will be held on February 18 for interested parties to offer their input into the new proposals.
Via: ABC Sunshine Coast. Image: Holiday Point.
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