| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ESCAPIST | |
| Dreamer is consumed by distortion of space and time (8) | IS inside (anagram of SPACE + T) | |
| 5 | STITCH | |
| Sit disheartened with irritation and pain from running? (6) | S(i)T + ITCH | |
| 10 | PARKA | |
| Reserve a heavy jacket (5) | PARK + A | |
| 11 | ECONOMIST | |
| Government adviser possibly made less than a modest income oddly? (9) | Anagram of A MODEST INCOME minus MADE | |
| 12 | CHATHAM ISLANDS | |
| Talk with workers about development of Islam in remote part of NZ (7,7) | (CHAT + HANDS) outside anagram of ISLAM | |
| 14 | ASIA | |
| Like one associated with a big part of the world (4) | AS + I + A | |
| 15 | CAROUSER | |
| Noisy drinker and driver, perhaps, covering round? (8) | (CAR USER) outside O | |
| 18 | BAR | |
| Watering hole is almost empty (3) | (BAR)E | |
| 19 | LINGERER | |
| Source of disease mainly on board large ship, one that hangs around (8) | (GER)M inside LINER | |
| 20 | POKE | |
| Said something without initial nudge (4) | S(POKE) | |
| 23 | CHICKEN-HEARTED | |
| Yellow hen reacted strangely around one from the country (7-7) | Anagram of HEN REACTED outside HICK | |
| 26 | PER CAPITA | |
| Each large piece of perch should be served with a flatbread (3,6) | (PERC)H + A + PITA | |
| 27 | COUCH | |
| Possible composition of green furniture (5) | Double Definition | |
| 28 | THEFTS | |
| Acts of stealing from account not supported by the facts (6) | THE FACTS minus AC | |
| 29 | SETTLE UP | |
| Pay cash leaving revamped display of Space Shuttle (6,2) | Anagram of SPACE SHUTTLE minus CASH | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ESPECIALLY | |
| Broken pieces collected by associate above all (10) | Anagram of PIECES + ALLY | |
| 2 | CARNATION | |
| Light red vehicle parked before race (9) | CAR + NATION | |
| 3 | PEACHY | |
| Very good people, completely gutted, suffering continuous pain? (6) | P(eopl)E + ACHY | |
| 4 | STEAMY | |
| Brewed teas, gracious me, could be hot (6) | Anagram od TEAS + MY | |
| 6 | TOOK A BOW | |
| Acknowledged praise to approve unfinished missile launcher (4,1,3) | TO + (OKA)Y + BOW | |
| 7 | TRIED | |
| Established level entered by player finally (5) | TIED outside PLAYE(R) | |
| 8 | HITS | |
| Hotel is taking into account temperature impacts (4) | (H + IS) outside T | |
| 9 | DOG STAR | |
| Notable luminary follows informer around (3,4) | DOGS + (RAT reversed) | |
| 13 | FRIENDSHIP | |
| Short day finishes in intimacy (10) | FRI(day) + ENDS + HIP | |
| 15 | CAR | |
| Jam ingredient is about right? (3) | CA + R | |
| 16 | SHORT FUSE | |
| Kind fellow stuck with hospital treatment for quick temper (5,4) | [(SORT + F) outside H] + USE | |
| 17 | PENCHANT | |
| Write song with taste (8) | PEN + CHANT | |
| 18 | BEDEVIL | |
| Base, active, mounted trouble (7) | BED + (LIVE reversed) | |
| 21 | PHRASE | |
| Expression, perhaps, not starting with translation (6) | Anagram of P(ERHAPS) | |
| 22 | MASCOT | |
| Company invested in royal support team’s symbolic figure (6) | CO inside MAST | |
| 24 | HORSE | |
| Husky heard mounted soldiers (5) | Sounds like HOARSE | |
| 25 | SPIT | |
| Roaster leans over (4) | TIPS reversed |
