A Queenstown woman was horrified to discover a note on her car telling her to "act like a Kiwi".

A woman who parked on the footpath outside her Queenstown home was shocked to find a note on her car, telling her to "act like a Kiwi".

Prue, who did not want her surname used, found the handwritten message on the front window as she left for work on Saturday – her birthday. The car was parked on the footpath in front of a housing complex in Frankton because of a shortage of spaces for residents, she said.

"Stop parking on the footpath. Only an Asian woman would be so stupid. You live in New Zealand. Act like a Kiwi. We have children who use the footpath," the note read.

Jo McKenzie-McLean/Stuff Prue says she has not experienced racism like that in her four years in New Zealand.

The complex is at the end of a dead-end road being developed near Remarkables Park. With no-parking lines along the road, other residents and nearby business employees often parked their cars on a nearby grass verge, and the footpath as well, Prue said.

The 26-year-old, who was born in China but moved to New Zealand four years ago, was "stunned" by the note. She had only been in the complex a week, having moved to the resort town from Christchurch for a job.

She had not experienced racism like that in her time here. The community in the complex was "quite multicultural".

Jo McKenzie-McLean/Stuff Residents park their cars on a grass verge because they don't have space in the housing complex.

"When I first came to New Zealand I thought Kiwis were really nice and friendly and smiley. I don't think whoever wrote that note was acting very 'Kiwi'."

Prue said she understood why the person was angry with her parking on the footpath, but given she was new to the complex and others did the same, she felt there was a better way to deal with it.

"There could be a nicer way to let me know it's not allowed. I thought, 'shame on them'. They talk about children ... their behaviour isn't a good example for children."

Jo McKenzie-McLean/Stuff The footpath outside the residential complex, where Prue parked.

She felt frightened someone had watched her and knew where she lived.

"They identified me as an Asian woman. They may know where I live ... I am afraid they may hit my car. I really don't feel safe now because of this paper."

Prue's flatmate Grace, also an Asian woman, was concerned about the discrimination too. She has reported it to police.

Human Rights Commission Taika Waititi, 2017 New Zealander of the Year, urges Kiwis to give nothing to racism.

"I feel worried about when I finish my job early in the morning or late at night – is someone going to run out and hit me because I am an Asian woman?"

Being told to "act like a Kiwi" was an attack not just on Asians, but all immigrants living in New Zealand.

"We have been shown a lot of kindness and support by friends – Kiwis and people from other countries."

Earlier this month, Queenstown mayor Jim Boult said he had been made aware of comments on social media regarding the coronavirus outbreak "which borders on racism". Tour operators had also reported concerning comments to him. He was overseas on Monday and could not be contacted.

That same week, an email saying Asian people were spreading viruses and their children should stay home from school was reported to police after being sent to parents at schools in Rolleston, Canterbury.