The Big Pineapple

The Big Pineapple

The Big Pineapple
2.5
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
About
The heritage-listed Big Pineapple is open daily and we welcome you to visit our iconic property. Have a photo with the Big Pineapple and then take the Pineapple Train for an informative train ride through the plantation, rainforest and return to the station for a Pineapple Parfait in the Cafe, which is hosted by Montville Coffee. If you wish to visit Wildlife HQ Qld Zoo you can jump off at the Koala Station and enjoy all they have to offer then all aboard when you are finished for the trip back to the Big Pineapple. Train rides are $5 each and children under 3 are free. From March 2019 you can experience the excitement of one of Australia's best high ropes and zipline courses, with a challenging 2km journey through the mature trees at the Big Pineapple. More to come as we renew this famous tourism icon on the Sunshine Coast!
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

See what travellers are saying
  • Carrie C
    33 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good train but zoo is disappointing
    Weird giant pineapple. Train was worth it. Zoo ticket is not worth it. The train drives past 60% of the animals. Why pay for the zoo ticket? Zoo is small. Cute but small. Perfect if you have very small kids who can't walk for more than an hour. But it's tiny.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 2 July 2024
  • Kym W
    4 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    So glad it's back!
    So glad the Big Pineapple is open again. I haven't been here since I was a kid...a long time ago. The train ride was very informative but we didnt have time to visit the wildlife park. One star off though for selling pineapple juice made solely from imported ingredients! Whilst the pineapple plantation has been removed (there are plans for its return, I believe), surely there are local pineapples/businesses available in Qld to support??
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 August 2024
  • ANDREW R
    Cincinnati, Ohio5 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    A very rotten pineapple
    Very daggy, poor experience. Waste of money. NO pineapples!! Train ride worst ever. Smart alec commentary from young driver didn't help. "Zoo" a joke. 7 or so dingoes in a small cage is poor form. They looked very miserable...go to a proper zoo. Obviously an attempt to get tourist $ for an exhibit way beyond its time & redemption. The new "big pineapple" may yet again rot. Save your money & time & go elsewhere.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 August 2024
  • Steven R
    Kingaroy, Australia1,981 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very disappointing
    Save your money.. very disappointing. Main building isn't open and all you have is a small coffee kiosk with an attached souvenir stall. Can't climb the Pineapple. Didn't bother staying as we'll wait until "Stage 2" is finished.
    Visited November 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 November 2024
  • Cally M
    10 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    It’s getting there
    It needs time, it is on a come back schedule. The main building is getting renovated, no banana splits this time. Coffee and snack kiosk at the front is open. They plan to replant the pineapples in the area between the main building and the zoo. Train is very slow (good for accessibility to the zoo) but the commentary is good along with the enthusiasm of the staff. Zoo is great for smaller kids, my kids are 12/10 and still enjoyed the range of animals available and the maze of paths getting around.
    Visited November 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 December 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
2.5
2.5 of 5 bubbles551 reviews
Excellent
39
Very good
92
Average
112
Poor
124
Terrible
184

Sally S
Granton, Australia22 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Family
Sadly we were all let down. Roll up in our kia carnival to find small coffee shop beside was open but the bug pineapple side of things closed.
We were informed it isn't currently trading.
The kids touched the pineapple, we loaded our people mover and moved on.
Written 24 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Seashellseashore
Melbourne, Australia78 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
Read the website before you go! This place no longer has ANYTHING to do with pineapples. Not a pineapple plant in sight. What it actually is, is a small zoo, with types of a animals you can see at any old zoo, and not in extreme humidity and heat. If you’ve got nothing else to do (and if this is case and you are in the Sunshine Coast, what’s wrong with you?!) then go and see this zoo at an exorbitant cost. The rickety “heritage” (aka 1980’s) train will take you round the plantation where the driver of said train will remind you at least eight times to stop at the “plantation cafe” (which is really a tin shed) to buy water.
Because the zoo is no longer a pineapple plantation you cannot obviously buy anything to do with pineapples for a souvenir or to eat (unless you count a plastic ruler, left over from the original 1980’s pineapple plantation heyday a souvenir).
I’m wondering when demolition of the huge pineapple out the front of the soon will take place...as it is completely irrelevant to the site itself.
The amenities are disgraceful (and if you do end up going to this zoo for some reason) do not go into the “toilet” - there is one at the entry and one portable toilet halfway round the zoo. Not sure how often they get cleaned but judging from the state of them I’d say once a fortnight at best.
I only gave it two stars as the child we were with enjoyed to zoo which we in turn took enjoyment from.
Their website does say renovation and rejuvenation will take place and my opinion is that unsuspecting tourists who have to pay the exorbitant entry fee will end up paying for this once their coffers are relatively full. I’m thinking at least 10 years. Keep driving down on the Sunshine Motorway to somewhere else.
Written 25 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Freddie jay B
Caloundra, Australia544 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Couples
Unfortunately the big pineapple is actually closed the last three times we went there.
You can’t climb the pineapple and one small shopfront is open as a cafe at the front.
The biggest attraction is the zoo which is awesome. It’s taken over the pineapple plantation now and you can hav e animal encounters,beaut cafe at the back,lots of shade and animals.
Love the Hq zoo. I had the best cotton top monkey encounter and meerkat one for my birthday this year and we shouted my partners niece to the meerkats and she loved it. Well worth the effort to make it there
Written 2 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kyza
11 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
The Pineapple itself is a let down. Very disappointed the train wasn't running as that's wat the kids were looking forward too. Nothing to do at actual Pineapple except a photo.No shops, but empty buildings. And the kiids wanted to buy Pineapples.
The only thing going for it is the GREAT little zoo they have there. Kids loved the animals especially the display the large gorillas put on for us. It had the kids laughing and we stayed there for ages just watching their antics.
Written 26 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Annette
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Couples
unless you just want a picture don’t waste your time. It’s run down and no train working, you can’t go in the grounds unless you’re going to the zoo or treetop challenge. The gift shop is almost non existent too and well overpriced goods. Highly recommend the treetop challenge if you’re young and healthy!
Written 3 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MyTribe11
Gold Coast, Australia11 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2020 • Family
We had planned a trip here for ages but had to delay it due to COVID. Once we were allowed to travel within QLD again I looked on their website and it said The Big Pineapple is open everyday. So off we went, with our children in tow. We all gasped with excitement when we saw the giant pineapple! We jumped out of the car, took the obligatory photos in front of the pineapple and then headed inside for what we dreamt was going to be a day of train rides, pineapple fields, souvenirs for the kids and ice-creamy treats. What had been our dream soon turned into a weird nightmare of a dilapidated, abandoned building, a grass hill, an empty ticket booth, an unmanned train station and not a pineapple plant in sight. Unsure what we were supposed to do, we headed back to the kiosk which was in a shed near the car park. We were told that the train was not running today and there was nothing else there as a new development had supposed to have begun in January but had still not commenced. I hoped to at least find a souvenir for the kids but there was slim pickings in the shed. We were told we could drive down the bottom of the car park to Wildlife HQ and there begins my next sad review....
Written 26 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pandagurl
Brisbane, Australia35 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Went there yesterday because they said on their website and on here that they are open every day and were looking forward to a sundae or parfait. Imagine our disappointment when all that was there was a small takeaway shop in a demountable with the main building is abandoned and the pineapple closed and has paint peeling.

They need to say on the website at the top what is going on and be honest rather than draw people in only to get pissed when they discover it's not open. We weren't there for the zoo and weren't the only ones expecting it to be open. I asked what was going on and was told it's going to be renovated and was shown the pictures of what it is suppose to look like once finished. They didn't know when this was going to happen. The website, right down the bottom, says it was going to start January 2020. Really. So why didn't it. No money? Anyway a disappointing and misleading trip.
Written 16 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jewel Sophia
12 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
After checking their website, I decided to take a friend with a disability for a day out. It advertised disability access, animal farm and train. My friend and I were looking forward to it, however on arrival there was no visible disability parking and the parking bays were on a slope. After pushing the wheelchair uphill to the entrance, we discovered it was all closed off with a sign saying the train was operating. The only thing which appeared open was a kiosk, so I asked about the animal farm and was told to drive further down the road. This meant getting my friend back into the car and lifting the wheelchair back into the car. There were no signs directing where to go to the animal farm. After following the road down a steep hill we arrived at a gravel carpark, which I didn't know if the wheelchair would manage. Seeing a staff member I asked if this was a suitable place for disability access. He told me certain areas were. Rather than disappoint my friend, we pushed the over the gravel to a portable office on wheels which meant pushing the wheelchair up a tiny ramp. Once inside I asked the staff member if there would be any steep areas we may not be able to manage. She told me I would have to get over two train tracks and couldn't access most of the animal park. It left us no choice but to leave very dissapointed and exhausted. I mentioned there was no signage at The Big Pineapple and was told The Big Pineapple wouldn't allow them to do it. When I mentioned that it advertised disability access, I was told it would be finished in several months.
Written 13 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Topnut
2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
My Partner and I took our kids ( 10, 13 and 17 ) to the Big Pineapple as we both remembered it from our childhoods. The “Pineapple” part was closed and they are apparently starting $6 Million worth of renovations but then Zoo attached was very good. It has all of the animals from Alma Park zoo with a focus of a lot of interesting and uniquely coloured animals. The Marmosets, Lemurs and Meerkats were a hit with the kids and the whole day was easy and pleasant. A lovely day trip from Brisbane.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bels_n_fitz
Irymple, Australia16 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022 • Family
The big pineapple is shut. The cafe had a good range of local ice creams both dairy and non. Lots of junk food for the kids and some sad leftover souvenirs from the previous tourism hot spot. You can take a photo in front of the pineapple but the business has closed. This is not well promoted or understood. Until you actually get there.
Written 3 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

…
Showing results 1-10 of 544
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

The Big Pineapple - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2025)

All things to do in Nambour
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars