Huka Prawn Park

What Huka Prawn Park does

Huka Prawn Park is a privately-held, single-venue family entertainment attraction and prawn aquaculture operation located on a 6-hectare site on the banks of the Waikato River in Wairakei, Taupo, New Zealand. Founded in 1987 by Aquatech Farms Ltd, it operates as both a tourism destination and a working prawn farm, serving primarily families, school groups, corporate groups, and domestic/international tourists to the Taupo region. The park combines admission-based activities (prawn fishing, hatchery tours, pedal boats, SUP, water activities, geothermal foot baths) with a 200+ seat riverside restaurant serving giant freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium Rosenbergii) and a takeaway prawn retail line.

The core technology underpinning the operation is a geothermal heat exchange system developed in partnership with Contact Energy, which uses surplus heat from the neighboring Taupo power station (handling up to 130°C water at 5,000 litres/minute) to heat all 19 production ponds to 26°C year-round. This system enables commercial tropical prawn breeding in a temperate climate and is paired with a hatchery facility capable of producing over 1 million baby prawns annually. The breeding program is supported by a biology team and a partnership with an Israeli biotech company for genetics research and brood-stock importation.

Huka Prawn Park generates revenue through five primary streams: per-person park admission fees (pricing tiers from $5 child to $75 family pass), restaurant dining (walk-in only, 200+ seats), prawn fishing add-on fees, gift vouchers (12-month validity), and corporate/school group bookings. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via walk-up admission, the Rezdy online booking platform, and direct contact for groups. The company is currently operating under new ownership following its June 2024 acquisition by Te Kiri o Moehau Partnership, a joint venture between Tupu Angitu (Lake Taupo Forest Trust) and NETCOR 2 (Wairakei Terraces & Thermal Health Spa), with stated plans to expand into health/wellbeing offerings including family hot pools.

Name

Huka Prawn Park

Legal name

Huka Prawn Park

Website

https://hukaprawnpark.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Huka Prawn Park is a single-venue, 6-hectare geothermally-heated prawn farm and family entertainment attraction in Taupo, New Zealand, serving domestic tourists, families, school groups, and corporate visitors with prawn fishing, hatchery tours, water activities, and a riverside restaurant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquaculture Tourism and Family Attraction Park

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Aquaculture (11251)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Aqua Adventure Parks (Water-Based Adventure Courses, Climbing/Zip Over Water) (THAAABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB), Shrimp & Prawn Hatcheries (AFAEAKAC), Fishing & Angling Charters / Guides (THAAALAD)

Keywords

• Prawn aquaculture
• Family attraction park
• Riverside restaurant
• Geothermal prawn farm
• Prawn fishing tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Taupo

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Park Entry/Activities Admission: All-day admission fees for the activities park including guided tours, prawn fishing (when available), pedal boats, SUP, water activities, and geothermal features. Family passes and individual pricing tiers available.
2. Restaurant Dining: Taupo's only riverside restaurant serving giant freshwater prawns and other dishes. Walk-in only during peak season. Can seat over 200 people indoors and alfresco. Includes takeaway prawns (1/2kg for $40, 1kg for $80).
3. Gift Vouchers: Electronic gift vouchers valid for 12 months for park admission, family passes, and dollar-value restaurant vouchers. Sold through online booking platform.
4. Group Bookings and Corporate Events: School groups and corporate/large group packages including behind the scenes tours, group dining, and team building activities. Contact-based pricing for large groups.
5. Prawn Fishing Fees: Prawn fishing activity fees (approximately $5 per person in addition to park entry). Includes 1.5 hour time slots with guided behind the scenes tour. Available on limited basis when prawn populations allow.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Huka Prawn Park operates a 6-hectare prawn-themed family adventure park on the Waikato River in Taupo, New Zealand, offering all-day park admission that bundles prawn fishing, guided hatchery tours, water activities (pedal boats, SUPs, water bikes), and a riverside restaurant serving giant freshwater prawns. The park also runs a commercial aquaculture operation producing over one million baby prawns annually using geothermal heat exchange technology, and sells takeaway prawn packs, gift vouchers, and customised school and corporate group packages.

Product overview

Huka Prawn Park is a single-venue family entertainment complex and prawn farm in Taupo, New Zealand. The offering centers on the Activities Park (Family Fun Park) as the core attraction, featuring 6 hectares of interactive water activities, pedal boats, and adventure experiences. Complementary offerings include the Riverside Restaurant serving giant freshwater prawns, Behind the Scenes Tours of the prawn hatchery and nursery, Prawn Fishing (when available), and Takeaway Prawns for home consumption. Additional revenue streams include Gift Vouchers and Group/School Bookings packages. The park also operates Nature's Kitchen as a new dining option featuring steamed prawns. All attractions are co-located on the banks of the Waikato River at Wairakei Tourist Park.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Activities Park (Family Fun Park) A 6-hectare prawn-themed adventure park on the Waikato River at Taupo offering interactive water activities, pedal boats, stand-up paddle boards, water bikes, water cannons, Shawn's Adventure Walk, The Gauntlet, Water Weights, Boat Lake, SUP Pond, Geothermal Foot Baths, and Riverside Trail. All-day access passes are available for families and individuals.
• Riverside Restaurant Taupo's only riverside restaurant serving giant freshwater prawns (garlic butter, curry, battered), non-prawn options, kids menu, and beverages with alfresco and indoor seating overlooking the Waikato River. Walk-in only, with seating capacity for over 200 people. A 15% surcharge applies on public holidays.
• Prawn Fishing Unique prawn fishing experience on the banks of the Waikato River where visitors cast lines and catch giant freshwater prawns from purpose-built fishing shacks over outdoor ponds. 1.5-hour time slots include a guided behind-the-scenes tour. Available on limited basis when prawn populations allow, with a $5 per person add-on fee.
• Behind the Scenes Hatchery Tour Guided tour through the nursery and hatchery facilities where over a million baby prawns are raised annually. Visitors learn about prawn breeding, see breeding prawns up close, and hand-feed baby prawns. Tours depart on the hour from 11am to 2pm and are included in all-day access passes or available as tour-only tickets.
• Gift Vouchers Electronic gift vouchers available for park admission, family passes, and dollar-value restaurant vouchers. Valid for 12 months and sold through the Rezdy online booking platform. Admission vouchers are redeemed through online bookings.
• Group and School Bookings Educational and group packages for school groups and corporate events, including behind-the-scenes tours, activities park access, and restaurant catering. Customized menus are available for group bookings of 20 or more. Pricing handled through direct contact with the bookings team.
• Takeaway Prawns Uncooked freshwater prawns packaged on ice in cooler bags with garlic butter and cooking tips, available in 1/2kg ($40) and 1kg ($80) packs for home preparation. Restaurant-served prawns come from ethically grown imported stock (Thailand).
• Nature's Kitchen (Steamed Prawn Packs) Natural steaming method using hot rocks to cook prawns, inspired by ancient cooking traditions. Prawns are wrapped and placed over hot rocks, infused with garlic butter, for an earthy, natural cooking experience. Available for purchase at the park.

Quantifiable outcome

• Can produce up to 5 tonnes of prawns per year when fully stocked
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Te Kiri o Moehau PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2024Te Kiri o Moehau Partnership acquired Huka Prawn Park on 19 June 2024. The partnership is a collaboration between Tupu Angitu (commercial arm of Lake Taupo Forest Trust) and NETCOR 2 (arm of Wairakei Terraces & Thermal Health Spa). The partnership aims to revitalize the park into a premier destination combining tourism, education, health & wellbeing, with plans for family hot pools and toddlers pool development.
• Contact EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Three-year joint venture to develop a world-leading low carbon heat exchange system. Contact Energy provides surplus geothermal heat from their Taupo power stations as a downstream user. The new system handles up to 130 degrees water at 5000 litres per minute, replacing the original 1993 system.
• Israeli Biotech CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Partnership with a world-leading biotech company in Israel for genetics research and brood-stock importation. A genetics professor from the company was scheduled to visit the farm in May 2023. Research collaboration focused on improving prawn breeding outcomes.
• Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2022Working with MPI to obtain import licenses for new prawn brood-stock from Israel or Thailand. The collaboration involves adapting import standards and quarantine procedures to bring new breeding stock to New Zealand for genetic diversity in the prawn breeding program.
• Taupo's Model Sailboat GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership hosting the model's sailboat group's weekly meet-ups every Saturday at 10am. The group uses the park's pond for sailing activities, bringing regular community engagement to the venue.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Willowbank Wildlife Reserve: Christchurch wildlife park with native species, koalas, and food/function venue. Comparable as a regional NZ wildlife attraction combining animal experiences with dining — analogous to Huka Prawn Park's combination of aquatic experiences and riverside restaurant.
• National Aquarium of New Zealand: Napier-based public aquarium with native and exotic species, child-focused interactive exhibits, and educational tours. Closely comparable to Huka Prawn Park's behind-the-scenes aquarium/nursery and hatchery tour offerings in a regional NZ visitor attraction context.
• Butterfly Creek: Auckland-based attraction featuring butterflies, tropical aquariums, and crocodile enclosures. Comparable as a smaller-scale NZ family attraction combining animal exhibits with interactive and educational experiences targeting similar families-with-children demographic.
• Orana Wildlife Park: Christchurch's open-range zoo offering animal encounters, guided tours, and conservation education. Comparable as a regional NZ animal-husbandry attraction combining conservation, education, and visitor experiences similar to Huka Prawn Park's hatchery tour and educational programming.
• Te Puia: Rotorua attraction combining geothermal features, Maori cultural experiences, and the National Kiwi Hatchery. Comparable as a regional NZ tourism attraction combining unique natural/cultural phenomena with educational tours and a captive-animal/husbandry program (kiwi hatchery).
• Waitomo Glowworm Caves: Iconic NZ visitor attraction combining boat tours through glowworm caves with above-ground nature and adventure activities. Comparable as a regional NZ nature-based visitor attraction with guided tours, water-based experiences, and tourism-adjacent retail and dining.
• Rainbow Springs Nature Park: Rotorua-based nature park combining wildlife (kiwi, tuatara), native aquarium exhibits, and a water-based Big Splash aquatic ride. Directly comparable as a regional NZ nature park that combines animal husbandry/aquarium with water-based family entertainment and educational tours.

Broad incumbents

• SEA LIFE (Merlin Entertainments global portfolio): Global operator of 50+ aquariums worldwide, including SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's in Auckland. Comparable as a large-scale operator of public aquariums with educational tours and aquatic animal husbandry, though at vastly greater scale and as part of a diversified attractions portfolio.
• SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium: Auckland's major public aquarium operated by Merlin Entertainments. Displays aquatic life with behind-the-scenes tours and educational programming; comparable product category but at significantly larger scale and as part of a global aquarium operator.
• Wairakei Terraces & Thermal Health Spa: Immediate neighbor in the Wairakei Tourist Park, owned by NETCOR 2 — the same parent entity that now owns Huka Prawn Park. Both businesses leverage the same geothermal resource and target tourist visitors in the Taupo area; comparable in audience and underlying thermal asset but Wairakei Terraces is a broader thermal health/resort play.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hukaprawnparknz
• Instagraminstagram.com/hukaprawnpark/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hukaprawnpark

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Huka Prawn Park