Hi Kris_E,
You only need a 4WD if you want to surf Turtles, or if the roads haven't been graded and it's the rainy season.
Cheers,
KH
A hire car can go anywhere. I once got through in a kea camper and found out later the road was closed to four wheel drives with the flooding; and I was one of the only vehicles to make it out that day. Handed the camper back in clean as a whistle. Unlike the falcon XR6 which I took to kitestock and parked on the beach for a 40knot sandblasting. They'd still be cleaning that one!