The Blue Mountains is a region in NSW famous for its stunning vistas, incredible rock formations and popular attractions such as The Three Sisters and Scenic World. But we’re not just here to enjoy beautiful landscapes and fun rides; our friend Arielle, Michael and I are spending a weekend walking in the footsteps of the stars of Stephan Elliott’s successful wedding comedy A Few Best Men.
Principal exterior photography for the movie starring Olivia Newton-John, Xavier Samuel, Laura Brent, Rebel Wilson, Kris Marshall, Kevin Bishop and Tim Draxl took place at historic Yester Grange Estate, located a few minutes’ drive from Wentworth Falls. The house and guest cottages are nestled in 20 acres of parkland and feature breathtaking views over the Jamison Valley.
While Arielle Guittard, co-creator and co-administrator of the French Olivia Newton-John blog (www.newtonjohn.blogspot.com), Michael and I marvel at the beauty of the Blue Mountains, we are also surprised by the silence that surrounds us. For most of our time at Yester Grange, we have the entire property to ourselves. Apart from the birdsong and sound of an occasional leaf dropping from a tree, the “Big Quiet” at Yester Grange is only broken by nightly Karaoke sessions taking place in the lounge room of our quaint Gatehouse cottage (http://www.yestergrange.com.au/bluemountainscottages.html).
After traumatising local wildlife with our renditions of classics such as A Little More Love, Heart Attack, Xanadu and I Honestly Love You, to mention just a few, we are well on our way to stardom and very much looking forward to joining Olivia on stage when she realises just how incredibly talented we really are and how lucky she would be to have us as backing singers... NOT!
Needless to say that the weekend is spent snapping away madly and filming every corner of Yester Grange. The estate is so photogenic that it’s literally impossible to take a bad picture. Special thanks go to Dean McComb for opening up the main house to us, for giving us a tour of the premises and for sharing anecdotes about the making of A Few Best Men. Below is a selection of my pictures with screen grabs from the movie to put the shots into context.
If you are visiting Australia and Sydney in particular, I highly recommend a side-trip to the Blue Mountains. Olivia fans and movie goers who enjoyed A Few Best Men will definitely be taken with a stay at Yester Grange…
Oh...and anyone seeking backing singers, you know who to call!
Cheers, Luke
Principal exterior photography for the movie starring Olivia Newton-John, Xavier Samuel, Laura Brent, Rebel Wilson, Kris Marshall, Kevin Bishop and Tim Draxl took place at historic Yester Grange Estate, located a few minutes’ drive from Wentworth Falls. The house and guest cottages are nestled in 20 acres of parkland and feature breathtaking views over the Jamison Valley.
While Arielle Guittard, co-creator and co-administrator of the French Olivia Newton-John blog (www.newtonjohn.blogspot.com), Michael and I marvel at the beauty of the Blue Mountains, we are also surprised by the silence that surrounds us. For most of our time at Yester Grange, we have the entire property to ourselves. Apart from the birdsong and sound of an occasional leaf dropping from a tree, the “Big Quiet” at Yester Grange is only broken by nightly Karaoke sessions taking place in the lounge room of our quaint Gatehouse cottage (http://www.yestergrange.com.au/bluemountainscottages.html).
After traumatising local wildlife with our renditions of classics such as A Little More Love, Heart Attack, Xanadu and I Honestly Love You, to mention just a few, we are well on our way to stardom and very much looking forward to joining Olivia on stage when she realises just how incredibly talented we really are and how lucky she would be to have us as backing singers... NOT!
Needless to say that the weekend is spent snapping away madly and filming every corner of Yester Grange. The estate is so photogenic that it’s literally impossible to take a bad picture. Special thanks go to Dean McComb for opening up the main house to us, for giving us a tour of the premises and for sharing anecdotes about the making of A Few Best Men. Below is a selection of my pictures with screen grabs from the movie to put the shots into context.
If you are visiting Australia and Sydney in particular, I highly recommend a side-trip to the Blue Mountains. Olivia fans and movie goers who enjoyed A Few Best Men will definitely be taken with a stay at Yester Grange…
Main house and gardens of Yester Grange
Luke relaxing in the gardens of Yester Grange (top) and wedding scene (bottom)
View of the main gate dressed with a prop (the Yester sign) for the movie
The main gate without the prop
The main entrance of the house
The verandah at the back of the house overlooking the gardens
The entrance and verandah at the back of the house
A function room used for several sequences including the Olivia “line ‘em up!” coke scene
Another shot of the verandah: Luke & Michael (top), Rebel, Jonathan, Olivia, Kevin, Tim and Kris (bottom)
Back door on the verandah painted white in the movie (left) and blue nowadays (right)
Tree-lined gravel path leading to the back of the house and gardens
View from the gardens: beautiful Jamison Valley
Flat Rock, the location used for the sauna scenes
Luke, Michael and Arielle enjoying the peace and quiet and beauty of Yester Grange
Hey you beautiful people!!! These pictures are impressive and I hope you take care of our precious Arielle. Well, this shot shows she's gotta lot of fun with you ;-) Have a great time and give my Angel a hug please!!!!!!!!! xox Kay
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay! We're having a great time with Arielle and very much enjoying her company. I'll be sure to pass on your hug... All the best to you. Cheers, Luke x
DeleteHello to you all,.
ReplyDeletestunning photos of Yester Grange. Really gorgeous to see the filming location of "A Few Best Men" and to get some background information. I wish you all a marvelous time in Sydney.
Arielle, wonderful to see you with the guys there. Enjoy every minute from your trip to Down Under.
Cheers,
Susanna