Senior Constable Bruce McLean, of Wanaka, said the lakeside dinosaur park playground, a park bench on the corner of Lakeside Rd and Ardmore St and Shinaburo Korean Eating House on Ardmore St were all targeted after 10.30 on Friday night.
Snr Const McLean said it was likely the person did not act on their own and ''there were people out there who know who did it.''
''I think it is a real social conscience thing, where I'd love for someone to come through, even anonymously, and give us an idea of who it might be.''
Snr Const McLean said the way the graffiti was written was not typical of the sort found when someone scratched their tag or sprayed a tag on a fence.
''It was someone who has come into [the centre of] town with a spray paint, with the intention of spraying areas, which they have done so for impact.''
QLDC councillor Quentin Smith, of Wanaka, said he was ''really disappointed'' to see the graffiti. He said he had ''zero tolerance'' for such behaviour.
''We are very fortunate that graffiti in Wanaka is not common and that the council generally are very active in responding to incidents very quickly,'' he said.
Queenstown Lakes District Council communications and marketing adviser Sam White said a contractor was removing the graffiti.
The fibreglass on the dinosaur slide was replaced in July at a cost of $3500.
Australian tourists Scott and Hannah Walmsley spent Saturday morning at the park with their children, Nina (16 months) and Ryan (2).
Mr Walmsley said he thought targeting a children's playground was a ''bit ridiculous''. Graffiti was a ''big problem in Newcastle, where we live in Australia - it's everywhere''.
