Hauraki Express - Water Taxi

What Hauraki Express - Water Taxi does

Hauraki Express is a privately held, family-owned maritime services company based at Pier 21, Westhaven Marina in Auckland, New Zealand, operating throughout the Hauraki Gulf. Its core offering comprises passenger water taxi transport to nine island and marina destinations — Great Barrier Island, Waiheke, Kawau, Rakino, the Inner and Outer Treasure Islands (Motuihe, Motutapu, Rangitoto, Tiritiri Matangi, Rotoroa), and Auckland marinas — with both per-person and full-boat (up to 10–12 passengers) pricing tiers and a 25kg per-passenger luggage allowance. The second core vertical is guided fishing charters (Full Boat up to 6 anglers and Shared Boat options from NZD 350 per person), targeting snapper and kingfish using Daiwa-supplied gear under Ministry of Primary Industries Amateur-Fishing Charter Vessel certification.

The company's technology base is primarily physical: Extreme 985-series aluminium boats for fishing charters, custom water taxi vessels accommodating up to 12 passengers, and the Midnight Oil 12-metre aluminium catamaran with 10,000-litre diesel capacity launched in 2020 for mobile marine fuel delivery. Operational technology centres on regulatory compliance — Hauraki Express holds its own Maritime Transport Operator Plan under Maritime New Zealand's MOSS regime, Pest Free Operator certification from the Department of Conservation, and operates a 24/7 pay-at-pump fuel station at Kawau Boating Club. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via phone (0800 KINGIE, +64 27 664 6644, 0800 HEFUEL), dedicated email addresses per service line, website booking, and content-driven demand generation through a fishing reports blog dating to 2019, active Facebook/Instagram/Twitter channels, and TripAdvisor reviews. Revenue is generated transactionally across four streams: water taxi fares, fishing charter fees, custom trip fees (corporate events, hens/stag dos, overnighters, America's Cup viewing), and marine fuel sales (hardware margin) sourced from Gull Petroleum.

Name

Hauraki Express - Water Taxi

Legal name

Hauraki Express

Website

https://haurakiexpress.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hauraki Express is a family-owned Auckland maritime operator providing water taxi transport to Hauraki Gulf islands, guided snapper and kingfish fishing charters, custom private trips, and marine fuel delivery via its Midnight Oil bunkering vessel and Kawau Boating Club fuel station.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Transport Services

NAICS

Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210), Inland Water Passenger Transportation (483212)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Passenger Catamaran Operators (TLAFALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Cruise Transfers & Tender Services (Water Taxis, Support Boats) (THAEAEAJ), Private Charters & Yacht Experiences (Crewed, Bareboat, Day Charters) (THAJAJAB), Harbor & Water Taxi Passenger Services (THAEAGAF)

Keywords

• Water taxi services
• Marine fuel bunkering
• Guided fishing charters
• Island passenger transport
• Custom boat charters

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Water Taxi Services: Passenger transport to islands in Hauraki Gulf including Great Barrier Island, Waiheke Island, Kawau Island, Rakino Island, Inner Treasure Islands, Outer Treasure Islands, and Auckland Marinas. Pricing varies by route with full boat or per-person options.
2. Guided Fishing Charters: Full-day guided fishing trips targeting snapper and kingfish in Hauraki Gulf. Options include Full Boat (up to 6 anglers) and Shared Boat trips. Includes gear hire, professional skippers, and lure fishing techniques.
3. Marine Fuel Sales and Delivery: Diesel and petrol sales through shore-based facility at Kawau Boating Club and mobile fuel bunkering via Midnight Oil vessel. Diesel sourced from Gull New Zealand, competitively priced with 24/7 pay-at-pump at shore station.
4. Custom/Private Trips: Customized boat trips including overnighters, hens/stag dos, sightseeing, boat-to-boat drop-offs, water transport to events, island hopping, nature trips, and sports trips.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hauraki Express provides water taxi passenger transport to islands throughout the Hauraki Gulf, including Great Barrier Island, Waiheke Island, Kawau Island, Rakino Island, Inner and Outer Treasure Islands, and Auckland Marinas. The company also operates guided fishing charters targeting snapper and kingfish, custom private trips for events and sightseeing, and marine fuel delivery through the Midnight Oil bunkering vessel and shore-based facility at Kawau Boating Club.

Product overview

Hauraki Express is a family-owned water taxi and fishing charter business operating in the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland. The company offers water taxi transport services to multiple islands (Great Barrier, Kawau, Waiheke, Rakino, Inner/Outer Treasure Islands, Auckland Marinas), guided fishing charters (Full Boat and Shared trips), custom tailored trips, and fuel bunkering services through their Midnight Oil vessel. The Water Taxi and Fishing Charter services form the core offerings, while Custom Trips and Merchandise serve as supplementary products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Taxi Service Passenger water taxi transport covering routes to Great Barrier Island, Waiheke Island, Kawau Island, Rakino Island, Inner Treasure Islands, Outer Treasure Islands, and Auckland Marinas. Includes 25kg luggage allowance per passenger, sporting gear accommodation (surfboards, paddle boards, golf clubs, kayaks, mountain bikes, dive gear), and pet transport of up to two dogs and two cats on full boat bookings.
• Guided Fishing Charters Full-day guided fishing trips targeting snapper and kingfish in the Hauraki Gulf. Full Boat trip accommodates up to 6 anglers with hire gear included; Shared Boat trips available from NZD $350 per person. Includes experienced Maritime New Zealand qualified skippers, Daiwa fishing gear, and lure fishing and livebaiting techniques. Corporate concession deal: book 5 trips, get the 6th free.
• Multi-Day Fishing Adventures All-inclusive 3-day and 5-day fishing trips that link with lodges at Great Barrier Island, providing accommodation, catering, and gear hire as a complete package.
• Custom Private Trips Tailored boat trips for groups and special occasions, including overnighters, hens and stag dos, sightseeing, wining and dining trips, boat-to-boat drop-offs, water transport to concerts and events, island/beach hopping, nature trips, and sports trips. Includes America's Cup / Prada Cup private viewing experiences for enterprise clients.
• Midnight Oil Marine Fuel Bunkering Marine diesel (and petrol) fuel supply via the Midnight Oil 12-metre aluminium catamaran with 10,000 litre capacity, delivering diesel to vessels throughout the Hauraki Gulf in partnership with Gull Petroleum. Spill prevention bund capacity for 110% of full load, spill kit, and manually operated pump equipment. Available 7 days a week within daylight hours. Also operates a 24/7 pay-at-pump dispenser at Kawau Boating Club with diesel at $3.196 per litre and Premium Petrol 95 at $3.773 per litre.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fish caught: Up to 40kg kingfish documented
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gull PetroleumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Gull Petroleum for diesel supply through Midnight Oil fuel bunkering vessel. Hauraki Express brings Gull fuel to marine market in Hauraki Gulf with competitive pricing. Diesel sourced from Gull New Zealand with quality monitoring and contamination checks.
• Kawau Boating ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHauraki Express operates the fuel facility at Kawau Boating Club. Installed 24/7 pay-at-pump dispenser offering competitively priced fuel. Club members receive 10 cents per litre discount on fuel purchases.
• Royal New Zealand Yacht SquadronminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYacht Squadron members receive 10 cents per litre discount on fuel purchases at Kawau Boating Club, providing preferential pricing to member vessel operators.
• Daiwa New ZealandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Daiwa NZ for fishing equipment including rods, reels, and lures (Kohga series). Co-marketing through fishing competitions including Kogha Spring Competition with $20,000 in prizes. Daiwa provides tournament app for competition tracking and promotional giveaways for charter customers.
• Department of ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHauraki Express is qualified as Pest Free Operator as approved by Department of Conservation. Partnership focuses on biosecurity protection of Hauraki Gulf islands and sanctuaries against rats, mice, skinks, ants and foreign soil/plants.
• Maritime New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory partnership. Hauraki Express operates under Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS) regime with own Marine Transport Operator Plan (MTOP) endorsed by Maritime NZ. Skippers are qualified through Maritime NZ to command vessels.
• Ministry of Primary IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHauraki Express boats are qualified as Amateur-Fishing Charter Vessels by Ministry of Primary Industries and comply with all fishing regulations including minimum sizes, quota and avoidance of waste and harm to non-targeted species.
• TripAdvisorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTripAdvisor profile for customer reviews and ratings. Business actively encourages satisfied customers to leave reviews on TripAdvisor.
• LegaseaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHauraki Express supports Legasea in its efforts to maintain sustainability of fisheries in the Hauraki Gulf. Sends fish to Legasea Kai Iki processing station at Westhaven for whole-fish utilization rather than just fillets.
• Great Barrier Island LodgesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMulti-day fishing adventures link with lodges at Great Barrier Island providing accommodation, catering and gear hire for 3-day and 5-day fishing trip packages.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fullers360 / SeaLink NZ: Dominant Hauraki Gulf ferry and tourist operator with scheduled services to Waiheke, Great Barrier, Rangitoto, and other islands Hauraki Express serves. Directly competes on the most popular passenger routes and dwarfs Hauraki Express in scale and scheduling.
• Seabus (downtown Auckland ferry): Scheduled ferry service between downtown Auckland and the North Shore/Hobsonville — competes indirectly on the same Auckland Marinas routes Hauraki Express lists.

Direct peers

• Explore Kiwi (Explore Auckland): Auckland-based water taxi and charter operator offering similar on-demand passenger, fishing, and custom trip services across the Hauraki Gulf. Closest like-for-like competitor for private and charter bookings.
• Kawau Kat: Small water taxi operator serving Kawau Island out of Auckland's North Shore — overlapping Hauraki Express route and pricing on Kawau passenger runs.
• 360 Discovery: Provides scheduled ferry and water taxi services plus tour experiences across the Hauraki Gulf and Coromandel, overlapping with Hauraki Express's island transport and custom-charter offerings.
• Belaire Ferries: Waiheke-focused ferry and charter operator; competes head-on with Hauraki Express for Waiheke passenger trips and custom event/experience charters.

Regional players

• Auckland saltwater fly fishing / Hauraki Gulf charter operators: Other Hauraki Gulf fishing charter skippers and operators offering guided snapper/kingfish trips; compete with Hauraki Express's Full Boat and Shared Boat charter offerings.
• Island Direct Ferries: Hauraki Gulf-based ferry/charter operator providing passenger services to gulf islands, comparable route set to Hauraki Express.

Others

• Burnsco / Gulf Marine fuel services: Marine fuel retail network in New Zealand. Adjacent rather than direct: Hauraki Express's Midnight Oil mobile bunkering competes with shore-station fuel access via established marine retailers.
• Gull Petroleum (fuel supplier partner/competitor in fuel): Hauraki Express's diesel supply partner via Midnight Oil and adjacent fuel retail competitor across its marina fuel station channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/haurakiexpress
• Facebookfacebook.com/haurakiexpress
• Instagraminstagram.com/haurakiexpress

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hauraki Express - Water Taxi