Autumn in the Dandenongs

We expected the usual yellows and reds, but the shimmering gold set against an intense blue autumn sky caught us by surprise. I wondered if the Dandenongs would have been even more beautiful a week or a fortnight earlier because the ground was covered with fallen leaves. But would the gold have been as rich and vibrant? Does the colour deepen and brighten the longer an autumn leaf remains connected to its vein of nourishment? Like a dessert wine grape perhaps.