An apology will not be enough to smooth the waters with Indonesia, the letter from the Indonesian president to Tony Abbott makes clear - only a full explanation of the extent of Australia's spying and a signed agreement regulating future intelligence gathering will do that.

The Australian Prime Minister has placed other priorities on hold to concentrate his efforts on limiting the fallout from the spying affair, in a bid to avoid a full-blown crisis in the bilateral relationship.

As the protest in Indonesia moved from the palace to rowdy scenes in the streets outside the Australian embassy, Mr Abbott acknowledged he had received the letter and would do everything he "reasonably" could to repair the relationship with Indonesia.