+1 on remote moto - there is a small charge to join the site but it's well worth it.
Not sure what your timing is, but Mar/April would be my choice for touring NZ - most of the tourists will be gone so everything eases up, but the weather is still good.
For a map the best road map I've found is the 'Kiwimaps' 'Pathfinder' 'South Island Complete Drivers Atlas With Indexed Country Roads' Product No 252 - have a look on kiwimaps.com. There is also a North Island edition but DON'T buy the combined North/South edition as there isn't enough detail. You can buy them in most service stations for around $25. Any 'road' shown in white is usually unsealed.
Just a thought in timing, some of the nice back country roads (Rainbow Road, Nevis Rd, Molesworth Rd) are summer only, Easter is a favorite time for closure for the winter so it would be a pity to miss the cut off.
And for a challenge have a look at either the Dusty Butt ride or the TT2000 - or both :-)
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