Cargill’s Castle Trust chairman Steven de Graaf said the popular annual fundraiser, to be held next week Sunday, October 6, would be an 11-stop tour, stretching from St Clair to Port Chalmers.
It would include a repurposed church, commercial building, a museum, a "garden with a difference" and residential buildings.
"There are six cafes spread around the route, where people can use a voucher to get refreshments — it is going to be a great day out for people," Mr de Graaf said.
"And people on the tour will also get the chance to take a sneak peak at the redeveloped Port Chalmers Maritime Museum, and also the Dhargyey Buddhist Centre, which is very exciting.
"We are very grateful to the generous owners of these homes and buildings for allowing us access to their spaces for the tour."
The Heritage Homes tour would help to raise urgently needed funds towards necessary work on the crumbling castle ruins above St Clair, Mr de Graaf said.
"The castle is continuing to deteriorate, so we are working with engineers and architects to make a start on stabilising the front of it," he said.
The trust hoped to get the work started in the next few months, and was pushing hard to raise enough money to cover the costs, he said.
"We have all the consents in place, we just need the money to get on with it."
Located high on the cliffs above St Clair, Cargill’s Castle gets its name from Edward Bowes Cargill, son of Captain William Cargill, who commissioned the building in the 1870s.
After the castle was allowed to fall into ruin, Cargill’s Castle Trust was formed in 1997, aiming to buy the site, stabilise the ruin and develop a cliff-top park and public walking access.
• The Cargill’s Castle Trust Heritage Homes Open Day will be held from 11am to 4pm on October 6.
Tickets are available from Bayleys Realty, Nichol’s Garden Centre, 2gypsies in Port Chalmers and online at cargillscastle.nz
