So can Metavarients 'Choose' any old metagenetic quality in SR4 without getting the SURGE quality, or are they only allowed those that are innate to their Race?

Metavariants are allowed those that are innate to their race.

Hmm.. maybe I'm over complicating this, but does that mean they don't necessarily have to have the qualities listed with the metavarient? Along with that, could they have multiples of the qualities that can be taken more than once?

So, for example, a Dryad can not take the Astral Hazing Drawback then?

If so, that is going to make one of my players very sad.

Not if they don't take the changeling quality too-

Well, yes you can chose to have certain qualities by chosing a certain metavariant, what you can't do is chosing the metavariant and not have the qualities as said qualities are integral part of the metavariant.
In my opinion the meaning was that if you want to have a certain metagenetic quality you either have to chose a metavariant that has that quality or have to be a changeling.

I have to agree with the above, I think you can try to pick your way around it, but to me it seems the intent was to say you have to be a changling except for metavariants who get their sett stuff. They just saved space instaead of making a seperate metavariant qualities section.