PROJECT #060: VICTORIAN HIGHWAY NETWORK MAP / PROJECT #065: ROAD TRIP DICE MAP
After a couple of maps focussing on my visions for the rail and tram networks in Melbourne, I started thinking about the state of Victoria, and how regional centres are connected so well by the road network. As much as my gunzel-ness leads me to a strong rail -bias, the road network in Victoria probably has the best connectivity in Australia, and I do love a good road trip.
Still in the mindframe of creating transit maps, I began to wonder how the highway network would look in the style of a transit map. And one of the other aspects of my nerd-dom involves the alphanumeric route system used in Victoria - I can tell you the route number of any highway in Victoria - so this was a map that absolutely needed to be created.
This was actually quite a straightforward map to create, unlike some of the maps I’d worked on previously. I didn’t have to imagine fictional networks, just find a different way to depict existing ones. So, like a transit map I grouped the highways by “trunk” designations, and then adjusted the lineweight depending on ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ routes that the alpha-numeric numbering system of Victoria’s highways uses to denote levels of importance.
Having the road network depicted in such a way reminds of how well Victoria is connected, and it inspired me to head out on a road trip with my mates. Back then I had a kombi, so we loaded it up and headed out to the Upper Goulburn Valley. Whilst around Kevington, we thought of using the map and a pair of dice to determine where to head to next, letting fate guide the way to discovery.
Upon arriving back in Melbourne, with a few major adjustments I edited the map to have junction points where a die could be rolled to determine the direction, outwards from the city, with the possibility of staying at one of around 500 destinations, either caravan park or camping ground. Letting the roll of a dice decide your holiday destination like some sort of live board game is an extremely exciting prospect for someone who likes lists and order - and creating the matrix to determine the network and probability of reaching each destination was exciting in itself - but we tested it out nonetheless.
The test run took us along the entire length of Victoria’s spectacular Great Ocean Road in the vintage orange kombi, with each further roll of the dice along the scenic drive seemingly defying the laws of probability, continuing to push us further west. Eventually, an overnight stop at Yambuk was necessary, and the dice decided that a campsite in Narrawong, just this side of Portland was the final destination.
The Dice Map isn’t one I’m eager to share too much, I feel like it requires a lot of ground testing, but it is also a bit of a personal present, something I would lend to someone with a carefree attitude perhaps.
I’ve used the map a couple times more, and at the time of writing this (COVID-19 isolation) I’m craving the open roads of Victoria more than ever. Once we are freed from the confines of the city and explore again, maps like these could be both a useful and fun tool to let fate guide a trip to explore the gorgeous countryside of Victoria.
VICTORIAN HIGHWAY NETWORK MAP can be found here: