I don't understand myself. I'm currently training for my night rating, only because it makes me a more qualified pilot than someone without one, and because operators like pilots who have it. Maybe it's an insurance thing?
I know the Orders (40.2.2) don't allow commercial operations on a night rating...they only allow AWK and PVT.
I gave my instructor the example of my friend who worked out of Boorooloola, and took some passengers to Katherine for some medical checkups late one afternoon. He was asked to overnight in Katherine, and depart before first light to operate another CHTR flight from Borooloola about an hour after first light the next day. Now, wouldn't that nil pax flight be considered CHTR due to the fact that my friend was receiving remuneration for the positioning of the airplane?
Special word for Van Gogh - see the last sentence on page AIP GEN 2.7-1:...do not include the nature of the terrain surrounding a location, or the presence of other than a cloudless sky and unltd vis at the location.
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Allowances should be made for these factors when planning for a flight having an ETA near the end of daylight.