Over ten years a number of nurse educators at the Waikato Institute of Technology (WINTEC) have worked collaboratively across primary health, cultural safety and child and family health domains of the nursing curriculum. We share a common philosophy underpinned by notions of diversity and health equity. The philosophy informs our theoretical inquiry, practice and research interests, and pedagogical concerns. This paper outlines some key aspects of our practice as nurse educators and researchers committed to the needs of our specific region in the central North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. Our paper begins by situating ourselves within the region, its people and influences before moving into a consideration of the wider political and policy environment. We consider the destabilising effects of cultural safety education and the tension between bi-culturalism and multi-culturalism in our context. Finally, we reflect on how these ideas inform our work with postgraduate child and family nurses.