The Corridors: Natura e capitali, alla scoperta del Sud-Est

Capital of the State of Victoria and Australia's cultural heart, Melbourne is an elegant, creative city repeatedly ranked among the world's most liveable. Spread along the banks of the Yarra River and overlooking Port Phillip Bay, it mixes skyscrapers and Victorian architecture, tree-lined boulevards and a network of historic trams that set its daily rhythm. Melbourne's charm is best discovered on foot, getting lost in its laneways: hidden alleys such as Hosier Lane, covered in street art, or AC/DC Lane, home to independent cafés, secret bars and design boutiques. The city boasts one of the world's most sophisticated coffee cultures, and every corner of the Central Business District reveals a new roastery or a stylish brunch spot. Along the Yarra, the Federation Square complex gathers museums and galleries, while the National Gallery of Victoria holds the country's most important art collection and the Royal Botanic Gardens offer a green breath in the centre. Melbourne is also Australia's capital of sport and major events: it hosts the Australian Open tennis, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the legendary Melbourne Cup, while the Melbourne Cricket Ground is a temple revered by fans. Its multicultural soul comes alive in the markets — above all the Queen Victoria Market — and in its ethnic neighbourhoods, from the Italian cuisine of Lygon Street to the Vietnamese fare of Victoria Street, and the fashionable venues of Fitzroy and St Kilda, with its beach and historic amusement park. Nearby, Melbourne is the gateway to some of Australia's most scenic landscapes: the spectacular Great Ocean Road with the sea stacks of the Twelve Apostles, the hills and vineyards of the Yarra Valley, and an encounter with the penguins of Phillip Island. Sophisticated and rebellious, refined and sporty, Melbourne reveals itself one coffee and one laneway at a time.

Just over an hour from Melbourne, Phillip Island is an island in the State of Victoria famous for its extraordinary wildlife and windswept coastal scenery. Its best-loved attraction is the Penguin Parade, the evening return of the little blue penguins that troop up the beach to their burrows among the dunes. At the Nobbies and Seal Rocks you can watch one of Australia's largest fur-seal colonies, while Cape Woolamai draws surfers with its powerful waves. The island is also a motorsport heartland thanks to the famous Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, host of world-championship races. With wild beaches, coastal trails and close encounters with koalas and wallabies, Phillip Island offers an authentic taste of Australian nature.

A coastal town in the Gippsland region of eastern Victoria, Lakes Entrance takes its name from the natural channel linking the vast Gippsland Lakes lagoon system to the ocean. The long sandy spit of Ninety Mile Beach, reached by a footbridge across the channel, offers endless miles of surf-washed shore. The fishing harbour is the heart of local life, where fresh fish and just-landed seafood are savoured. Between lagoon cruises, kayaking and sunsets over the water, it makes a relaxing stop for travellers along the south-eastern coast.

(425km / about 5.5 hours). Departure in the morning driving through the forests of Croajinglong National Park and the countryside of New South Wales until reaching Canberra, the modern Australian capital nestled among the hills. Canberra is the capital of Australia, a planned city set among broad green spaces and the man-made Lake Burley Griffin. The country’s institutional and cultural heart, it is home to Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial and the National Gallery of Australia, which holds one of the continent’s richest art collections. Orderly districts give way to parks and hills, while nature reserves and vineyards stretch across the surrounding countryside. In spring the Floriade festival fills the gardens with millions of flowers. An elegant and surprisingly green city, ideal for those seeking art, history and calm.

(290km / about 3.5 hours). Departure along the Federal Highway towards Sydney. Sydney spreads around one of the world's most spectacular natural harbours, where the white sails of the Sydney Opera House and the steel arch of the Harbour Bridge form one of the planet's most recognisable skylines. Capital of New South Wales and Australia's largest city, Sydney blends the energy of a cosmopolitan metropolis with the relaxed rhythm of coastal living, in a mild climate that invites outdoor life all year round. The historic heart beats around The Rocks, the city's oldest colonial quarter, with its cobbled lanes, vintage pubs and weekend markets, just steps from Circular Quay, where ferries set off across Sydney Harbour. The Sydney Opera House, Jørn Utzon's UNESCO-listed masterpiece, crowns Bennelong Point and hosts concerts, opera and performances; for thrill-seekers, the guided BridgeClimb up the Harbour Bridge offers 360-degree views over the bay. Nearby, the Royal Botanic Garden provides a green oasis overlooking the water, while Darling Harbour gathers an aquarium, museums and waterfront restaurants. Yet Sydney is above all a city of beaches: famous Bondi Beach, a surfers' paradise, is linked to Coogee by a coastal walk past cliffs and coves, while Manly, reachable by ferry, mixes golden sand with a seaside-village feel. The dining scene reflects the city's multicultural soul, from the fish stalls of the Sydney Fish Market to the Asian kitchens of Chinatown and the café brunches of Surry Hills and Newtown. Nearby, the Blue Mountains — a UNESCO reserve an hour from the centre — offer eucalyptus forests, waterfalls and the iconic Three Sisters, while to the north the Hunter Valley wine region invites tastings among the vines. Between sea, culture and nature, Sydney is a city to savour slowly, with your feet in the sand and your eyes on the ocean.