His parents were keen members of the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society, May and Horace Cottrell made an intensive study of the gannets on the rocky promontory, Cape Kidnappers. A lecture illustrated with Horace's hand-coloured lantern slides proved so popular that they were invited by the American Chautauqua Association to tour New Zealand in 1923. The lecture was given 99 times.

Poems flowed abundantly from May's pen: mostly brief verses on pertinent topics and often from a feminist perspective. With titles such as 'Mothers' (so-called) holidays' and 'Sport & hobby "widows" ', they found ready acceptance in women's magazines. In 1930 a romantic epic poem appeared in an English shipping publication, the Blue Peter. The story was based on a little-known legend surrounding Pania, daughter of the sea people, and the reef that lies beyond the Napier breakwater. Widespread local int