Its a bit of a pig to get off, you have to make sure everything comes off straight so you don't crack any of the alloy, so lift everything up evenly, and to get the cam cover off pry it carefully with a 3/8" wrench evenly around, then use nylon wedges and a soft hammer to lift it evenly off the main casting (I don't have any special tools).
The biggest pain in the arse was the nut under the inlet manifold needs loosening, Not a job to be undertaken if you have a bad back, or arn't feeling agile. You have to climb in the car kneel on the engine and reach both arms around the manifold, then blindly undo the nut.
Make sure you have all the tools you need to hand and take your time.
Here is a picture of the head just after I removed it, you can see the bent valves lifted from their seats.
