Big Pineapple For Sale

[pin142]

Following sourced from Sunshine Coast Daily JUST when we thought the Big Pineapple’s future was secure, the owners of the tourist icon have put it on the market. Savills Sunshine Coast director Jerry O’Reilly confirmed yesterday the property is offered for sale via expressions of interest. The notice of sale comes just over a year after the company was placed in liquidation when the owners breached part of their Deed of Company Agreement. Mr O’Reilly said he was confident there would be a healthy level of interest. “We are expecting investors, developers and tourism operators to be interested in the property,” he said. “It is far too early to determine the volume and quality of enquiry because the vendor is offering a lease back at $700,000 per annum. “The property is outside the urban footprint and the South East Queensland Regional Plan, however, Terry Mackenroth has said it will be up for review every five years,” Mr O’Reilly said. “The future of the property has unknown potential.” Mr O’Reilly, who works for the owners of Big Pineapple, the Hayes family, says the property comprises of five titles. “The total is 79.5 hectares approximately. It is an absolute prime piece of property at the nexus of the Bruce Highway and the Nambour Connection Road,” he said. Big Pineapple’s retail and tours section sole operator Peter Auld said the sale might affect his business but he wasn’t worried. “If someone comes in and doesn’t continue with the leases I will be out but they will have to buy the stock from the shop off me, which I own 90 %,” Mr Auld said. “I am hoping that someone buys the place and injects lots of money and positive thoughts to bring it back to the way it used to be.I would like to continue on here as I can see great potential.” Mr Auld said regardless of the saleof the property, he believes nothing will come into place for at least five years. The property is available for expressions of interest until Wednesday, July 27.

[GoGoBoy]

I think this is a real shame. In the Herald today they said it was expected to be bought by residential developers. So be prepared to say goodbye to the Big Pineapple and hello to a massive collection of ugly houses and apartments. It's sort of like Wonderland all over again... the land is becoming too valuable. The Big Pineapple has been there for over 30 years and is a real symbol of tropical Queensland. I remember when I was really young going on holidays with the family and it would really hit you that you were on the Sunshine Coast when you reached the Big Pineapple. It's a beautiful property and is a perfect spot for tourists, both domestic and international. My personal feeling is that it should receive a heritage listing

[joz]

It is sad really, when I visited the place last time I had a pretty good time. It seems as if the place has struggled to re-invent itself, and during my last visit it was like a time warp; I visited the place, which was basically identical to as I remembered it as a kid. The harvest boat ride was still the newest "ride" and only a new zoo area added down the bottom of the hill since my last visit when I was all of 7. It amazes me that the Big Pineapple is looking like closing when the rest of the Sunshine Coast is going through a tourism boom. Maybe the new Wet 'n' Wild should go there.

[Bussy]

Which one? The Gympie one, which last time I was past there (earlier this year) was closed and the attached servo was fenced off. Or the Nambour one? "The Bus is now leaving for Pineapple Rocks, Tasmania"

[joz]

There's a big pineapple in Gympie?

[T-bone]

Yeah there is one at Gympie. It's in the Big Book, Australia's Roadside Attractions. A very good book. The one at Gympie is not as good as the one at Nambour.

[Richard]

If you read the article, it's pretty evident that they are referring to the full scale tourist attraction at the Sunshine Coast, not the closed pineapple-shaped information kiosk/fruit shop at the Gympie Caltex.

[Bussy]

But that would require reading more than 5 lines of text in one go which is much too hard for someone like me with a short attention span. Excuse me a butterfly just flew past so I'm off to chase it. "The Bus is now leaving for Pauline Toner Butterfly Reserve, Victoria"