As you know, I always take my camera everywhere. So when I saw these jewel-like reflections on the surface of the Yarra River, I was able to take a photograph immediately. This is not the best view of the Melbourne skyline, and you have to strain your eyes to see the Swan Street bridge spanning one end of this frame to the other - but it's just a "different" view of the city I live in.
To achieve this effect, I didn't shoot it in "panorama" mode; I just shot the whole scene and then cropped out the sky and the river to concentrate on the lights. I never crop my images or modify them in any way, but this was one time I felt it was warranted. As for the deep purple tinge to the sky, that's fairly normal here in Melbourne at this time of year.