The roads are good in New Zealand (well, except for the one that is washed out). You don’t need an SUV any regular car will do. Even if you rent SUV the insurance might not cover. There are a few roads that are specifically excluded from the insurance policies. It is a perfect place for a road trip with hikes. Good facilities, plenty of pull offs and parking places. There are also plenty of reasonable motels and I thought the prices for camper vans was quite high but you will see many of them on the roads.