Huka Prawn Park
Crustaceans have the starring role at this aquacultural facility and activity park, where you can feed, fish for, and eat prawns. As well as taking a tour of the prawn nursery and hatchery, you can soak your feet in geothermal waters, go stand-up paddleboarding, and follow adventure trails.
The Basics
Admission tickets to Huka Prawn Park include a free 25-minute tour of the prawn nursery and hatchery, and access to a boating lake, geothermal foot bath, playground, and adventure trails. Explore the water on a stand-up paddleboard, pedal boat, or water trike, or go fishing for prawns, keeping as many as you catch at no extra cost. Other park attractions include a native bush walk, a water compass, water weights, and a trout-feeding station.
Things to Know Before You Go
With such a large variety of fun activities, Huka Prawn Park is a great place for families to spend the day.
You can keep the prawns you catch on ice and bring them home, or cook and eat them in the park.
There’s a riverside restaurant serving both prawn and non-prawn dishes, though you’re also free to bring their own food and eat it at the park.
Bring a towel and a change of clothes as you may get wet.
How to Get There
Huka Park is situated on the Waikato River, about a 10-minute drive north of Taupo. Follow the Thermal Explorer Highway north from Taupo and take the Karetoto Road turnoff; look out for the Prawn Park sign at the exit.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The best time of year to visit Huka Prawn Park is summer, when the weather is conducive to outdoor fun. Come on a midweek morning to avoid the crowds.
Huka Falls
Just a 5-minute drive from Huka Prawn Park is one of the region’s most dramatic natural wonders: Huka Falls. At this point in the Waikato River, the powerful flow of water is concentrated into a narrow canyon, where it plunges down a 36-foot (11-meter) drop and creates a frothy white cascade. The best views of the falls are from the nearby footbridge or during a jet boat ride on the river.