It all began with a couple of group members hankering for pineapple parfaits from their past. Apparently the Big Pineapple near Nambour used to serve the 'best' pineapple parfaits in the whole world, so the plan was to visit the Big Pineapple and walk (or eat) down memory lane, then do a hike in the vicinity.
The Big Pineapple originally opened in 1971 and was a Queensland Tourism icon, but has had some ups and downs. We had read that it reopened in 2015 and its website states, " ... the Big Pineapple is proudly open and boasts iconic, heritage listed BIG fun. You can again climb the Big Pineapple and explore the process of pineapple farming from start to factory, on your way to enjoying the fabulous views of the observation deck."
When we arrived at the big empty car park, we knew something was amiss. Our hopes for that perfect parfait were quickly dashed. A small cafe at the front of the complex was open (no parfaits on the menu), but the big function rooms, restaurant area, toilets and shopping area were all locked up and looking very sadly run down and neglected. The website says there are Saturday markets held here, so hopefully it livens up on weekends.
We climbed the iconic Big Pineapple as the website suggested, but again were saddened by the run down state it was in. The displays look like the originals from 1971, shabby, dated and the cans all going rusty.