The wind battled the waves for dominance so hard that spray from the tip of the waves sometimes misted me in icy cold water, making my shirt damp and cool. The wind also battled with me, trying to make me as cold as possible. It lost quickly, because I have been longing for this icy spray and cold wind for almost a year now. The rocks below me were being pummeled by the waves, and the snails were either falling down the side of the rock or slowly sliding their way down the side to the water to escape the pounding of the cold, dark waves. Seagulls hung in the air tilting their wings up and down to stay level. One landed to my right and gave cry to the wind. One of its dark, mischievous eyes studied me closely and he let out another cry. I was at Greene’s Pool.

Greene’s Pool is found on the west side of Australia. The water is cold, if you have not guessed. Aqua blue waters surround a little beach, which is protected by rocks. Surrounding the outside of the rocks are dark blue waters with waves that are tipped with pure white. On windy days, spray coats the island rocks, bringing out different colors that have been there for who knows how many years. Sand blasts the shores and eats holes in the rocks. Boulders stick up in irregular areas, making the view limited to within a few hundred feet inshore. People came and went on the beaches but didn’t really explore much. A potentially dangerous snake slithered across the dark rocks and a lizard sucked in as much sun as was possible on that cloudy day. This was where we were for several hours. It’s a few hundred miles from Perth. The way we got there was driving, but I don’t think that is the only way.

Gabriel Miller is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program

Photo courtesy and copyright Gabriel Miller