Jan 7th - 10th (or 9th) Richmonds

Hi there, I've been traveling in NZ for a few months. I'm a pretty experienced tramper from the States (22 years old). Weather pending, I'd like to do an alpine crossing of the Richmonds beginning the morning of Saturday the 7th and spending two or three nights. I did a northern crossing of the Tararuas solo earlier this month and I'm properly equipped and fit, generally preferring to hike seven or eight hrs a day/ maybe around 15km, if the terrain is as rugged as around Arete in the Tararuas. I'd prefer to hike with someone of similar conditioning than solo again. Age isn't that important to me. For this trip, I will be transportless, so for even if you don't want to hike together, any tips on a ride to start point and/or end point would be appreciated (willing to pay gas plus time if you or a friend live on either side). I've been hitching a lot with good success, but traffic looks to be unlikely on a lot of the access points I was considering for this trip. You can post here or give me a call/text after the 28th (don't have cell reception until then) at 021 0466298 Cheers, Eian