The Big Pineapple sits about five minutes from Sunshine Coast Motor Lodge in Woombye, and in 2026 it is running as a proper day out again. This guide covers the three things guests ask us about most, the heritage train, the TreeTop Challenge high ropes and Wildlife HQ Zoo, with current prices, hours and how to reach it from our front door.
What’s at the Big Pineapple in 2026?
Quite a lot, and the front gate costs nothing. Entry to the Big Pineapple grounds is free and the site is open every day from 8:30am to 4pm. The star, of course, is the 16-metre fibreglass pineapple itself, and you can Climb the Pine for 360-degree views across the Sunshine Coast for 10 dollars. The heritage train runs a gentle loop through the old plantation for 10 dollars per person, and the Pine Mobile tour is the same price. There is a rebuilt Big Pineapple Cafe for tropical-leaning meals and snacks, Sunshine and Sons on site for rum and gin tastings, and the well-known Big Pineapple markets each Saturday from 6:30am, running to 1pm in summer and 2pm in the cooler months. It is the sort of place you can dip into for an hour or fill most of a day.
How do you get there from Sunshine Coast Motor Lodge?
It could hardly be simpler. We are at 279 Nambour Connection Road and the Big Pineapple is at number 76 on the very same road, about 2.5 kilometres away, so it is a five-minute drive with no turns to think about. Head out of the Motor Lodge, follow Nambour Connection Road toward Woombye, and the big yellow landmark is impossible to miss. There is free parking on site, so you are not paying to leave the car, and because you are so close you can easily duck back for a swim or a rest in the middle of the day and return for the afternoon. Guests travelling with early risers often do the Saturday markets first, then come back to us for breakfast.
What’s TreeTop Challenge like?
Big, and genuinely high. TreeTop Challenge at the Big Pineapple bills itself as the highest, largest and most thrilling high ropes adventure park in Australia, and the numbers back the talk: 12 flying-fox ziplines stretching between 20 and 130 metres, spread across six courses with around 140 individual challenges, at heights from 3 to 35 metres. It is built for ages 8 and up, with under-12s needing an adult on the course, and you need to reach 165 centimetres to your fingertips for the easier courses, 185 for the advanced blue and black levels. Standard adult entry is 70 dollars, and you can expect to spend two and a half to three hours up there. It opens 9am to 5pm on weekends and holidays, with set 9:30am and 1:30pm sessions midweek, so it pays to lock in a time.
What can you see at Wildlife HQ?
More than 200 animals, native and exotic. Wildlife HQ Zoo sits inside the Big Pineapple grounds and is home to red pandas, meerkats, monkeys and quokkas alongside Australian favourites like koalas, kangaroos, wombats, crocodiles and southern cassowaries. It runs more than 15 hands-on animal encounters, including feeding the red pandas and joining the meerkats, which is the thing kids remember long after the trip. The zoo is accredited by the Zoo and Aquarium Association, and it opens every day of the year except Christmas Day, from 9am to 4pm with last entry at 3pm. Adult entry is 39 dollars, children aged 3 to 15 are 25 dollars, seniors 32 dollars, and a family pass for two adults and two children is 109 dollars, with under-3s free. Train and zoo combo tickets are sold at the Big Pineapple gate rather than online.
Where can you eat around the Big Pineapple?
You have a good option on site and a better one for a proper feed just up the road. The Big Pineapple Cafe handles snacks, coffee and tropical-leaning meals without leaving the grounds, which suits a mid-visit break. For lunch or dinner with a bit more to it, the Woombye Pub is the local pick, a classic country hotel with a woodfired pizza oven and a dedicated kids’ menu, open seven days from 10am to 10pm. It is only a few minutes from both the Big Pineapple and the Motor Lodge, so it slots neatly into the end of a day out. Guests keep telling us the woodfired pizzas are the reason they go back a second night.
Quick questions from our guests
How far is the Big Pineapple from Sunshine Coast Motor Lodge?
About five minutes by car, roughly 2.5 kilometres straight down Nambour Connection Road. We are at number 279 and the Big Pineapple is at number 76 on the same road, so it is one easy, sealed run with free on-site parking when you get there.
Is it free to get into the Big Pineapple?
Yes, entry to the grounds is free, and you can wander in, see the giant pineapple, visit the cafe and browse the Saturday markets without paying a cent. You only pay for the individual experiences, such as the heritage train, TreeTop Challenge or Wildlife HQ Zoo.
How much is the Big Pineapple train?
The heritage train is 10 dollars per person for a gentle loop through the old plantation. Climb the Pine and the Pine Mobile tour are also 10 dollars each. Train and zoo combo tickets are sold at the Big Pineapple rather than online, so buy those at the gate.
What age is TreeTop Challenge suitable for?
TreeTop Challenge is built for ages 8 and up, and children under 12 need an adult with them on the course. You also need to be able to reach 165 centimetres to your fingertips for the easier courses, and 185 centimetres for the advanced blue and black levels.
Is Wildlife HQ Zoo open every day?
Wildlife HQ is open every day of the year except Christmas Day, from 9am to 4pm with last entry at 3pm. It sits inside the Big Pineapple grounds, so you can pair it with the train or the markets and make an easy half or full day of it from the Motor Lodge.
Because the Big Pineapple is five minutes from our door, it is one of the easiest days out you can build around a Woombye stay, from a quick loop on the train and the Saturday markets to a full day split between the zoo and TreeTop Challenge. If you want a night or two nearby, have a look at the rest of the local attractions and book your stay direct with us.
Image credit: Visit Sunshine Coast
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