Center Of World Tourism

"Welcome to Australia's number one tourist attraction." That sentence greeting for visitors / tourists Agro Tourism is very popular in Australia, "THE BIG PINAPPLE". The name was indeed well suited to the mascot and icon tourist area covering 170 hectares, that is building a 16-meter-high giant pineapple. The Big Pineapple was established and opened as Agro Tourism since 1971. It is located in an area known as the "Sunshine Coast", approximately only one hour by bus or private vehicle from the city of Brisbane is the capital of Queensland state. The building that resembles a giant pineapple was made of fiberglass materials, materials in which there is information describing and narrating about sights of The Big Pineapple and all sorts of activities, as well as objects other tourist diseantero Sunshine Coast region. At certain hours in the building is screwed in the film / slide that tells the story of The Big Pineapple tourist area, everything in it, and what kinds of activities can be conducted. Such information is also there edukasinya elements, among others, the pineapple fruit diceriterakan origins from where, from the patch on the pineapple reproduced and developed / cultivated, how and when to start harvesting since the start of planting, from pineapple fruit can be processed so whatever, etc. . Description / information is very obvious and popular, along with the pictures / photos are interesting, so children can easily understand kecilpun. This is both to educate and instill a sense of love in the world of agriculture to children early.
The tourist area in the opening hours are from 09:30 to 17:00 local time. Open every day except Christmas Day and ANZAC Day (Australian National holidays). Areas around the area of the Big Pineapple is a popular tourist destination, especially agro-tourism, also a maritime tourism route, especially towards the Great Barrier Reef. Travellers who arrived at The Big Pineapple really spoiled with the spread of tropical fruit orchards are cultivated in the area, they can get around the area using a specially designed vehicle. In addition to fruit orchards, the planting of different vegetables and also flowers in green houses, tourists can also see activity in the mini-factory / mini pineapple and Macadamia Nut industries. For families who brought his son-daughter can "chat" directly with the animals / wildlife, native to Australia, such as Kangaroos, Koala, etc.. When thirsty or hungry, a few restaurants in the area served Queensland style cuisine is very delicious. Also available outlets / shops that sell quality art, crafts, and various other souvenirs to souvenirs.
History of The Big Pineapple started when Bill and Lynne Taylor in 1971 to buy rural land in Queensland's Sunshine Coast region with an area of 23 hectares. Land is then planted with pineapple. One year later there was the thought: "how about pineapple plantations such as the object / tourist attraction?" The idea is that eventually raises the site became the subject of a very famous tourist destination in Australia and was awarded from the Australian Tourism Development "and the Association of Travel Bureau Australia.
Later in the year 1978 opened a new field, namely garden Macadamia nuts (Macadamia Nut), the line touring car and the train tracks in the tourism area has been built to serve visitors around the region. Visitors can tour the garden pineapple, pineapple processing mini-plant, garden tour and Macadamia nut processing plant. Loveliest cars designed in such a way that is shaped like a miniature railway and the passenger looked like seeds / pod Macadamia nuts (although called a nut, Macadamia nut crops do not like peanuts, but plant a tree and its fruit is round almost like a ping-pong ball, a little bit small) .
In 1981 "The Big Pineapple" was purchased by the company "Landray Industries", that's when the "revolution" in the field of tourism began. Landray developed the concept of "Nature Tourism" to formulate "Tropical Agriculture" through tourism. Now Landray concept is known by the term "agritourism." Currently "agritourism" in Australia known plays an important role as part of promotion and marketing of Australian tourism destination.
In 1984 the facility "Nutcountry Tour" which uses the mobile car shaped like a bean pod Macadamia has expanded its reach into the tropical forests around the area. Furthermore, another facility is built, namely "Queensland's Hidden Treasures" has been opened as a new object which is where the spectacular display of precious stones, including jade / jade and the famous Australian opal. Other facilities such as restaurants were also constructed. In that year the king also Mr.Rupert Murdoch Australian newspaper under the banner of Queensland Press has been bought / took over the sights of The Big Pineapple. In the year 1986 increased to 113 hectares of their area and new parking facilities have been built which can accommodate 420 vehicles and 20 kendaraa large tour bus. Several restaurants in the up again and there that can accommodate 1000 people. In 1988 a new building constructed under the name "Tomorrows Harvest", inside contains displays about the history of horticulture. Also built "green house". Next to the day's 25th birthday a few more facilities have been built, including "The Wildlife Garden" which features various kinds of birds and other wildlife native to Australia, as well as conference hall that can accommodate hundreds of people to the seminars. In 1996 the company has sold to Roughend Pineapple Pty. Ltd, their area was expanded to 170 hectares. Other facilities in the wake again, like the Environmental Shop, and tour packages that are packaged in the attraction of the evening event "Creatures of the Night Nocturnal House". Be a tourist attraction the Big Pineapple agro like this now. The number of visitors each day an average of around 7000 people.