Sunset cruise in Nitmiluk, Northern Territory

A sunset cruise in Nitmiluk has it all. Beauty, mystery and romance fill this spectacular and ancient gorge, formed over 120 million years ago in the Northern Territory's Nitmiluk National Park.

Also known as Katherine Gorge, Nitmiluk literally means 'cicada place'. It was named by a dragon-like creation figure called Nabilil, who travelled across the land, arriving at the entrance to Nitmiluk when the cicadas were in full song.

Now, in mid-winter, the cicadas are silent, biding their time until the breeding season returns. That's just as well, because the peace and quiet allows other stories to be told. Nitmiluk Tours guide Don McGregor skippers our sunset cruise through the gorge on this unforgettable afternoon in late July. He's one of the Jawoyn people, the traditional owners of this land.

When he rattles off the names of the local birdlife, tongue slightly in cheek, it sounds like he's reciting an outback poem. "Let me tell you about the birds we have here," he says with a grin, before drawing a breath and launching into recital. "We've got Little Pied Cormorant, Black Cormorant, King Pied Cormorant, White Faced Heron, Rainbow Lorikeet, Australian Darter, Peregrine Falcon and Fairy Martins. And we've also got ducks."

Gorgeous sandstone cliffs rise on either side of Katherine Gorge, crenellated like a mad baroque cathedral. The stone is ruby-hued, veins of colour run riot across the surface, catching the afternoon light. Delicate clumps of maidenhair fern grow in dampened crevices, softening the rock surfaces.

No-one is sure what to expect when Don steers our boat onto a small beach within the gorge. We climb out and walk a few metres towards a pile of rocks at the base of the cliff. Our guide stops, points upwards, and there before us is a magnificent natural art gallery. Human and spirit figures adorn the northern wall of the gorge, flanked by kangaroos and other animals. The paintings are as old and certainly as symbolic as the art of ancient Egypt. They speak eloquently of an Indigenous cultural history that is spiritual, animistic and intensely reverent.

When we get to the second gorge (there are 13 in all) we float above a deep green pool that is deceptively calm. The Dreamtime's Rainbow Serpent, Bolung, lives in this gorge. Bolung is an important life-giving figure but destructive if disturbed. To prove the point, the trees and shrubs that line the shores and lower reaches of this gorge all grow in the same direction, forming a counter-clockwise whirlpool of greenery. We're told they're shaped by the floods that fill this gorge each wet season, but Bolung no doubt would be pleased with this demonstration of nature's unstoppable force.

The reds and oranges of the gorge walls deepen in the dying light, the sky becomes more intensely blue. A ripple of a breeze wanders across bare arms, a warm and unexpected blessing. Don wanders to the front of the boat and picks up the didgeridoo that has sat there since the cruise began. He plays it beautifully. Ancient songs without words.

Sometime later, we're seated for dinner at a table that runs the length of the boat, tucking into roasted lamb rack and steamed vegetables. Laughter bounces around us, the conversations flow.

Occasionally, one of us looks up and out into the night; thousands of stars look back, gently illuminating the scene. It's romantic, peaceful, and incredibly beautiful.

Essential info: Nitmulik Tours offers a variety of trips from a the full day "Footpath of the Jawoyn" tour to the shorter hour and a half "Rockart Cafe Cruise". There are also breakfast cruises and sunset tours.

Other options: Two and three day eco-packages are also available. Or if you prefer you can see the magnificent gorge from air by travelling by helicopter, or explore the gorge at your own pace by hiring a canoe.

About the Jawoyn: Jawoyn is recognised among Aboriginal peoples over a large area of the Northern Territory's Top End. It is an all encompassing expression used in reference to language, culture, people and territory. nitmiluktours.com.au