I used to teach at Quirindi, near Tamworth, NSW. It's black as buggery there at night. The town is some distance from the airstrip. I thought it was a great place for someone to learn to fly at night. Every take-off was into inky blackness, and every approach was a black hole approach (except for those bloody cloudless full moon nights. It was nearly as good as daylight once your eyes had adapted).
For instrument flying I've always tried to get the student 'head down' ASAP after take-off. Not at first though. To start I'd give them a few hundred feet then reduce the transition height as their skills developed. I also did IF engine start to engine stop flights with some students, depending on their skill. I certainly remember having to do the same when I was learning.