Nate Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Meyne Wyatt. The actor sent a taped audition to the show's casting agent and was invited to the studios for a call-back, before learning he had won the role. Wyatt relocated to Melbourne for filming and became the first indigenous actor to join the regular cast of Neighbours since the show began in 1985. Wyatt made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 18 August 2014. The character departed on 2 June 2016.

Nate was introduced through a loose connection to Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne), who was once married to his uncle. Nate is a former soldier, who was initially portrayed as being mysterious and closed-off. Wyatt branded Nate "a complex character" and said that his heart was in the right place. Nate's storylines have often focused on his struggle with posttraumatic stress disorder and how it affects his relationships with other people. The character is openly gay and had relationships with Chris Pappas (James Mason) and Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson). He has also been at the centre of a storyline concerning the bike-versus-car debate, which was a prominent news story in Australia at the time. Nate has received mostly positive attention from viewers and critics. He was named Favourite Newcomer at the 2014 Soap Extra Awards.

Nate's arrival was first teased by executive producer Jason Herbison in late June 2014. Herbison confirmed that Chris Pappas (James Mason) would be getting a new love interest, who would also be a regular cast member, unlike his previous partners who had only been recurring. On 20 July, it was announced that Meyne Wyatt had joined the cast of Neighbours as Nate Kinski. Wyatt sent a taped audition to the show's casting agent and was later asked to provide another, which helped to show his range as an actor. Wyatt was then flown to Melbourne for a call-back, where he acted out a scene alongside Mason. He learned that he had won the part a week later. Wyatt relocated to Melbourne where the Neighbours studios are located, and he began filming two and a half months before his casting announcement.

Wyatt is the first indigenous actor to join the regular cast since the show began in 1985. Executive producer Jason Herbison told Elissa Blake from The Sydney Morning Herald that the decision to cast an indigenous actor was "unintentional" and Wyatt had stood out as the best actor for the role following his audition. Herbison explained, "[The role] was not written as an Aboriginal character, however as the character is not a blood relative of existing characters, there were no ethnicity limitations. We could craft the character's background story if necessary to suit the actor cast in the role." Wyatt's casting came shortly after a Fairfax Media report about indigenous actors was published, in which they branded the Australian television industry "whitebread" and asked for casting calls to be "colour-blind". Wyatt made his debut appearance as Nate on 18 August 2014.

Wyatt explained that Nate comes to Erinsborough to attend the funeral of a friend. He has a connection to long-term character Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) as she was married to his late uncle Alex Kinski (Andrew Clarke). Wyatt said Nate was "very lucky" that Susan and her husband Karl (Alan Fletcher) welcomed him into their house with open arms. Wyatt also confirmed that Susan would become "a mother figure" to Nate and they would form a friendship. In his fictional backstory, Nate is originally from Karratha. He enrolled in the Australian infantry and completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan. After quitting the army, Nate travelled around the world.

Wyatt called Nate "a complex character" and said he would initially be "closed-off", as well as being an "unpredictable element" within the cast. Wyatt stated, "he could be misunderstood, but once some secrets are revealed about his background, you can gain an understanding of why he does the things he does. But before that, he's definitely a man of mystery." Wyatt also said Nate's heart would be in the right place, but his behaviour would be weird. Nate's profile on the show's official website states that he is an "alpha male", "super polite" and occasionally comes across as being dull. Nate is openly gay, having known from an early age. Wyatt explained that as a heterosexual actor, this was a "new layer to explore" and a reason that he found the character so interesting. He confirmed that Nate's lighter side would be seen, promising that it was not all "doom and gloom" with him.

In 2015, Wyatt explained that Nate had changed a lot since his first appearance and was "definitely more relaxed". He had developed new connections and friendships with other characters like Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns), which brought out new sides to his character. Wyatt added that Nate's "lighter side" had started to come out and was not "as insane" as he had once been.

Wyatt told Claire Crick from All About Soap that some of the things Nate experienced during his tours of Afghanistan had left him in "a dark place" and struggling to adapt to life away from the army. His aggressive behaviour is a result of posttraumatic stress disorder and Wyatt explained, "he doesn't intentionally mean to be violent – it's just that his experiences in the army have really affected him." After Nate pinned Chris Pappas against a wall, he confided in Susan and told her about his past. Wyatt said it was a huge relief to Nate when Susan was understanding of his condition. When she later asked him to give a talk at the local high school, with the intention of trying to help, Nate was scared and things became too much for him. Wyatt commented that Nate was not ready for normal life yet. He also explained that Nate's PTSD was "a cool challenging storyline" for him and he researched the subject thoroughly to do it justice. Speaking to Shannon Molloy of news.com.au, Wyatt commented that Nate's PTSD was interesting to him and made the character stand out.