The season, weather (prevailing atmospherics e.g. stable warm to hot weather, approaching change, upper level troughs...), atmospheric pollution and timing all play crucial roles. This past summer here in Victoria, Australia has been patently lousy for sunrise and sunset photography. Almost always put down to prevailing unsuitable weather conditions e.g. lingering bands of cloud at the horizon, sea fog, dust or smoke from bushfires/burning off.
Deserts and isolated beaches with large tracts of ocean can be good places to predict powerful sunset and sunrise, but you must do your research on sunrise and sunset times. Full moon times have usually provided me with excellent opportunities to fit subject to sunset but less frequently sunrises: I'm usually tucked up in my sleeping bag when the sun bobs up, LOL!
Going out there with a preconceived idea of what you will come back with is bound to disappoint you. Personally I favour the outback or northern latitudes (in Australia) for sunrise and sunsets. In the south, at this time getting close to winter, sunsets are poor.
• Sunset, Norman Bay, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, February 1988 ©
(Kodachrome 200 tranny; Canon T90 w/FD 28-105 f3.5; this night marked the end of a prolonged hot spell and it was much cooler on following days.)
• Nine years later, in the same place...
Yup! You gotta have patience in this game...