Across remote regions the practical route is decided by where fuel can be obtained rather than by which roads exist. The station network is the binding constraint on the day.
Range is shorter in practice than on paper
Manufacturer figures assume steady speeds on good surfaces, while remote driving involves gravel, heat, headwinds, air conditioning and a loaded vehicle.
Consumption rises accordingly, and the usable range between fills can fall well below what the specification suggests.
Planning to arrive with a substantial reserve rather than treating the range as available distance is the standard approach among people who drive these roads regularly.
Opening hours matter more than distance
A station within range is of no use if it is closed, and in small settlements hours can be short, seasonal or dependent on one person being present.
Sundays, public holidays and the hours after dark are the usual failure points, and they are not always reflected in mapping data.
Experienced drivers therefore fill whenever the opportunity arises rather than when the gauge requires it, which is a different habit from urban driving.
Payment can fail in ways that strand a vehicle
Unattended pumps often require a card, and foreign cards are declined at some networks for reasons that cannot be resolved on site.
Connectivity failures take card systems offline entirely, at which point a station may only accept cash or may be unable to dispense at all.
Carrying some local cash addresses most of this, and it is the reason the practice persists among drivers in regions where cards otherwise work fine.
Fuel type availability narrows in remote areas
Smaller stations may stock only one or two grades, and the availability of diesel, unleaded and any additive required varies by region.
Vehicles requiring a specific specification can find it unavailable across long stretches, which constrains the route independently of range.
Hire vehicles taken into remote areas are worth checking on this point before departure, since the requirement is easy to overlook.
Price varies with the same geography
Fuel costs more where it must be transported furthest, and the difference between a regional centre and an isolated roadhouse can be considerable.
Filling completely at the last substantial town before a remote section is therefore both cheaper and safer, which is a rare alignment.
The roadhouse price is not exploitation so much as the cost of maintaining supply at a location that could not otherwise be served.