*** Next week the AFR will publish a bumper edition for Easter which will contain three puzzles for you to enjoy. It will be available from Thursday 2nd of April – get a copy early so you don’t miss out ***
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SHOWDOWN | |
| First to see who’d arranged personal confrontation (8) | (S)ee + anagram of WHOD + OWN | |
| 5 | ABATED | |
| A temperature in a hospital unit decreased (6) | (A + T) inside (A + BED) | |
| 10 | OKAPI | |
| Yes, a pig with no tail is a strange-looking animal (5) | OK + A + PI(g) | |
| 11 | SHILLINGS | |
| Capital Hill protected by different signs (9) | HILL inside anagram of SIGNS | |
| 12 | THIRD PARTY | |
| Hotel, caught in dirty trap, falsified insurance form (5,5) | H inside anagram of DIRTY TRAP | |
| 13 | HOME | |
| Mass held in digger’s birthplace (4) | M inside HOE | |
| 15 | CARPUS | |
| Fish served by American joint (6) | CARP + US | |
| 16 | NEEDLES | |
| Sewers could be unnecessary shortly (7) | NEEDLES(s) | |
| 18 | COUPLER | |
| A type of car fitted with left and right linkage gear (7) | COUPE outside L + R | |
| 20 | ON TIME | |
| Throw out number withdrawn according to schedule (2,4) | (EMIT + NO) reversed | |
| 23 | EARL | |
| Auditor left one of high standing (4) | EAR + L | |
| 24 | ALLEGIANCE | |
| Support one in possession of a weapon with loyalty (10) | (LEG + I) inside (A + LANCE) | |
| 26 | TRIBUNALS | |
| Right held in Istanbul perplexed law courts (9) | R inside anagram of ISTANBUL | |
| 27 | GOOD-O | |
| Party after sticky matter expressed agreement (4-1) | DO after GOO | |
| 28 | DIETER | |
| One brought in to discourage weight watcher (6) | I inside DETER | |
| 29 | ENTRANCE | |
| Rebuilt centre incorporating an access point (8) | Anagram of CENTRE outside AN | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SCOUTS | |
| Talent seekers caught out on board vessel (6) | (C + OUT) inside SS | |
| 2 | OCARINA | |
| Operator’s starting motor in a musical toy (7) | (O)perator + CAR + IN + A | |
| 3 | DRIED APPLE | |
| Doctor that is spotted with desiccated fruit (5,5) | DR + IE + DAPPLE | |
| 4 | WEST AUSTRALIAN | |
| We treated naturalist as one of us (4,10) | WE + anagram of NATURALIST AS | |
| 6 | BALL | |
| Social sphere (4) | Double Definition | |
| 7 | TINFOIL | |
| Sheet metal in frame originally used in industry (7) | [IN + (F)rame] inside TOIL | |
| 8 | DISPERSE | |
| Broadcast is essentially shown after the beginning of December (8) | (IS + PERSE) after (D)ecember | |
| 9 | LISTEN TO REASON | |
| Rotten sea lions at sea come round (6,2,6) | Anagram of ROTTEN SEA LIONS | |
| 14 | LEFT-WINGER | |
| Football player dropped out before win by Germany (4-6) | LEFT + WIN + GER | |
| 17 | ACCEPTED | |
| Did something about mushroom generally approved (8) | ACTED outside CEP | |
| 19 | UKRAINE | |
| Wet weather in country bordered by East European republic (7) | RAIN inside (UK + E) | |
| 21 | MONSOON | |
| Wind on bearing inside satellite (7) | (ON + S) inside MOON | |
| 22 | REDONE | |
| Embarrassed individual should be given a makeover (6) | RED + ONE | |
| 25 | CURE | |
| One who stands in line reportedly for treatment (4) | Sounds like QUEUER |
