The Sunshine Coast’s Big Pineapple just scored $5 million from the Queensland Government. Here’s what’s coming.

If you grew up in Australia, chances are you’ve got a photo somewhere – squinting into the sun, ice cream in hand, standing in front of one of Australia’s iconic Big Things. The 16-metre fibreglass Big Pineapple at Woombye is one of those places that exists somewhere between national treasure and beloved kitsch. And now, it’s getting its biggest upgrade yet.

The Queensland Government has committed $5 million to the Big Pineapple Rejuvenation project – the largest single grant from the first round of the state’s $80 million Tourism Icons Investment Fund. That’s a lot of pineapple cash.

So, what’s actually changing?

Quite a lot, it turns out. The funding will go towards both structural repairs and a whole new suite of experiences at the Woombye site.

On the practical side, the main building complex is getting some much-needed TLC: glazing replacements, veranda repairs, and energy-efficiency upgrades. The kind of stuff that doesn’t make headlines but keeps a heritage-listed icon standing for another 50 years.

The exciting part? What’s going inside. The revitalised precinct is set to include a family-friendly microbrewery, cafes, retail outlets, a full restaurant, a sports bar and function spaces. Think less roadside stop, more full-day destination.

Owner Peter Kendall said the funding would breathe new life into the attraction’s heritage infrastructure. The upgrades, he said, are designed to “attract more visitors to the Sunshine Coast, while creating jobs and boosting the local economy."

A comeback already in progress

This isn’t the Big Pineapple’s first rodeo with reinvention. The landmark was officially relaunched back in June 2024, after a major refurbishment of its internal structure. That first stage brought a cafe, a children’s playground, a new viewing platform and a fully restored train back to the site, which has been a tourism drawcard since it first opened in 1971. The new funding builds on that momentum.

The Big Pineapple grant is just one piece of Queensland’s broader tourism ambitions. The $80 million Tourism Icons Investment Fund is part of Destination 2045, the state government’s long-range roadmap to position Queensland as what Tourism Minister Andrew Powell calls “the Home of the Holiday."

Round one of the fund spread money across the state, with other recipients including:

• A new wave pool and surf lagoon at Palm Valley on the Gold Coast
• Australia’s largest zip line in the Numinbah Valley
• An expansion of the BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort, including a new waterpark
• A new flying fox adventure experience along the Brisbane River
• Revitalisation of the Great Keppel Island Hideaway Bistro
• A new 2.4-hectare lakes precinct at Longreach’s Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame
• A flood-resilient rafting centre at Lake Placid near the Barron River

Under the fund’s terms, the state government’s contribution must be matched at a minimum by project owners, meaning the actual investment pouring into these sites is considerably higher.

Why it matters

Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Mark Stoeckel put it well. “Almost everyone has a story, memory or photo connected to [the Big Pineapple]".

For decades, it’s been the kind of place you stop at because it’s there, it’s enormous, and how could you not? The goal now is to make it the kind of place you’d actually plan a trip around, and stay a few hours longer than expected. A microbrewery and a proper restaurant will do that.

“Projects like this help preserve the character and nostalgia people love, while creating a new generation of experiences that will attract visitors, support local jobs and strengthen the region’s tourism future," Stoeckel said.

Round two of the Tourism Icons Investment Fund opens soon, so there’s more to come for Queensland’s tourism landscape. But for now, it’s the Big Pineapple’s moment in the sun.

Woombye’s Big Pineapple is located at 76 Nambour Connection Road, about an hour’s drive north of Brisbane.