Ashes fans' guide: Dennis Lillee's Perth

Dennis Lillee hasn't always been known for his hospitality. For years, he ruined the visits of Englishmen venturing to Australia with his ferocious fast bowling. By the time he retired from Test cricket, in 1984, he had taken more Test wickets - and more Ashes wickets - than anyone in history.

Now, however, he has mellowed. "We love the Poms," he says with a smile. "Sure, there's fierce rivalry at the cricket, but the Brits are embraced with open arms."

Here are his tips to enjoy his hometown in between sessions.

The city

Perth has boomed in the last 10 years. I remember looking out across it a little while ago and counting 36 cranes on construction sites. They're building new offices and hotels all the time and the mining sector - which is particularly strong in Western Australia - has ensured that we haven't experienced the recession that has affected other parts of the world. There was a time when Perth was seen as the poor relation of Melbourne, but not any more. There are fantastic hotels and restaurants now and it's become a vibrant, multi-cultural, modern city. But it's still the most isolated city on the planet. There is a rugged beauty about Western Australia and I love the fact that you can drive for hours and hours and not see another person. It's the largest state in the country - taking up nearly a third of Australia - and though around 2.2 million people live here, about 85% of them live within a couple of hours of Perth. I hardly leave WA now. Why would I? We have an amazing climate, amazing countryside and incredible recreational opportunities. I even holiday here.

The WACA

I have to recommend the WACA (waca.com.au), don't I? I'm President there now. Even if there isn't a game on, you can take a guided tour and visit the museum. It's a relatively intimate stadium; more like an English ground than some of the Australian ones. The tickets for this Ashes Test sold out in about 48 hours and there's certain to be a great atmosphere. We're redeveloping the ground straight after the Ashes. The competition for hosting international games just grows greater, so we're going to improve the facilities and make sure we retain cricket here.

Pubs

The Elephant and Wheelbarrow is a good bet for a night out. It stays open late and offers beers on tap. It's located in Northbridge, a district where you'll find many of the bars and clubs. If supporters want to go for a drink right after play - and I expect they will - they just head up the hill and visit Fenians, an Irish pub, or The Grosvenor Hotel (thegrosvenorperth.com.au). Elsewhere, in South Perth, The Windsor (windsorhotel.com.au) - one of the oldest pubs in Australia - is well worth a visit as is The Vic (the-vic.com.au) in Subiaco and The Subiaco Hotel (subiacohotel.com.au).

Coffee

There's been an explosion of great coffee shops in the last 10 years. There's a strip of really good ones alongside Victoria Park. Epic (epicespresso.com.au), on Hay Street, in West Perth, is very good. Zekka is exceptional, too. It's located on King Street in Perth's West End, where many of the boutique shops are. Zekka offers a wide variety of teas, too.

Eating out

A few years ago, finding a great restaurant in Perth was pretty hard work. But not any more. You're spoiled for choice now. It may not be quite as good as Melbourne in that respect, but it's much improved. One that I like very much is In Contro (incontro.com.au). It's in South Perth and has superb views across the Swan River and the city. The chef - Peter Manifis - is developing a reputation as one of the best young chefs in the city and specialises in fresh, local produce. There's a huge Asian influence in Perth and that's reflected in the cuisine. Ten Ten Kitchen (tentenkitchen.com), a Chinese restaurant in East Victoria Park, is very good value, while Munch Delight, on Mends Street in South Perth, offers good Thai food. Frasers (frasersrestaurant.com.au) has wonderful views of the city skyline and the Swan River and is open for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The best sea food you'll ever taste can be found in Fremantle and it doesn't get any better than Kailis' (kailis.com). I always have fish and chips, but their prawns and scallops are to die for. The fish is all brought in as fresh as can be from Fremantle harbour.

The outdoors

Perth has an outdoor lifestyle. I'm sure it's part of the reason I became a successful sportsman. Like most Australian kids, I was outside all the time as I grew up. If I wasn't playing cricket, I was playing football or riding around on my bike. Perth made me. The Swan River is at the centre of everything. I'd strongly recommend people go sailing (funcats.com.au), on river cruises or yachting (sopyc.com.au) if they get the chance. Charter fishing is also wonderful. For golfers, I'd recommend The Vines (vines.com.au), which is a championship golf course in the Swan Valley.

The beach

Cottesloe is a great family beach. It's just off Marine Parade, so there are loads of pubs and cafes overlooking the water and it's the perfect place to enjoy Perth's sunset. Scarborough is more open and expansive. It's great for surfing and has lovely, white sand. You can go anywhere in the world, but you won't find better. They have a big screen up for one day of the Test, too, so you can go to the beach and not miss any of the cricket. Should people worry about sharks? We've had a few attacks recently. But bearing in mind how much coast we have and how many people swim, there really aren't many. You're much more likely to be knocked down by a car. Mandurah is worth a visit if you get the chance, too. It's about 40 minutes from Perth on the train and was the holiday destination of choice in the 1940s and 50s. It has been modernised a lot in recent years and has some excellent bars and restaurants, but the original accommodation survives and makes it a charming place.

BBQ

If you go to South Perth and walk around the Swan River, you'll probably find a coin-operated BBQ every 500m or so. Every Saturday and Sunday, you'll see hundreds of people using them and enjoying their food by the water. Matilda Bay, opposite the university, is another good spot for a barbie.

Further afield

Ningaloo Reef is amazing. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it's the most stunning thing I've ever seen. It's a couple of hours north of Perth, but well worth the flight. You can go snorkelling over the reef and see an amazing variety of fish. The colours are outstanding. I know David Gower was heading there between the Adelaide and Perth Tests. Sal Salis (salsalis.com.au) is the place to stay. It's eco-friendly and you stay in tents right on the beach. Rottnest is superb, too. It's a car-free island, a 30-minute ferry ride from Fremantle. Again, it's great for snorkelling and is very popular with anglers. Huge schools of samson (sambo as the locals call them) make the island one of the best metro fishing spots in Australia. Fishing gear can be hired or bought at Rottnest Adventure Centre, the General Store in Thomson Bay, and the Geordie Bay Store. My favourite holiday destination is Kimberley. It's in the northern part of the state and I like to drive for half a day and not see another person. It's a harsh, rugged place with very few settlements. It's about three times the size of England, but only 40,000 people live there. It's amazingly beautiful. The eco-resort at Broome (ecobeach.com.au) is also outstanding. You can watch turtles and whales and, like Ningaloo Reef, you can sleep right on the beach and watch the sun come up.

Wine

Western Australia only produces about 8% of the wine made in Australia, but the quality is exceptionally high. There are easily accessible wineries about 30 minutes from Perth in the Swan Valley, or you could make a day of it and go to Margaret River. outandabouttours.com.au.