Snorkel or no snorkel to the Cape

Just depends on how deep everything is.
We went up a couple of months after Cyclone Monica and it had only stopped raining a week or so before we got there. On the development road we encountered quite a few creek crossings where we had water over the bonnet.
Cyclone Monica went through at the end of April and we were there mid June.

The main purpose of a snorkel is to get clean (and cooler) air from up high and not in the wheel arch or low at the front of the engine. A secondary purpose is to reduce the likelihood of water ingress into the airbox and engine.

So if its dry on the development road a snorkel is a good thing to have, if its wet then its a real good thing to have.

And if you purchase a snorkel that will accept a prefilter it will save your main engine filter from getting excessively dusty , especially if driving in convoy.
A lot of vehicles and trucks use the PDR so it will get fairly dusty pending on the weather.
Regards

You can do the cape easily without a snorkel sounds like you not planning to do any hard core tracks or deep water crossings just going for a leisurely drive to the tip .I would say save you money & would suggest you put a new air filter in when you get back to Cairns and clean out the air box. I haven't been up there for years but people use to drive cars up the development rd probably still the odd one around.

hi
I would go as far as saying you don't need a 4wd if your staying on the development road let alone a snorkel. in july 2013 it was in very good condition and although corrugated was just a dirt road
a snorkel does have other benefits but you wont need it for water crossings

Mate - you will not need a snorkel for water if you avoid the OTT. And even if you did the OTT then you wouldn't NEED a snorkel. Have been 2 or 3 times, OTT each time and never had a snorkel and we survived each trip (even with water over the bonnet).

But honestly - why bother going if you aren't going to do at least some of the OTT?

Thank you everyone for their very sound advice and suggestions. I will be dropping my caravan at Cooktown and with 5 others do the drive to the Cape...Thanks again...

Well if you drown it, I suppose you would expect someone to drag you out of it, at their risk. Buy a snorkel and don't be tight, to many benefits over not having one.
Tony F8

You wont need a snorkel up here for your trip in July.
You will want to get into Elliot Falls on the OTT which means youll have to get through this ford below. Bring a tarp if you have any concerns, there will still be plenty of water in the ford in July.