Dingo,
I hope you can get your hands on a good DSLR mate, good luck with it already. Like I have said before; A Canon or a Nikon it doesn't matter at all. It's all about what people are used to. Canon users will say go for Canon and Nikon users will prefer their brand. The most important thing here is that both brands make the best DSLR's availible on the market today so the camera which you will end up with is great anyway
The main rule in photography is, that it isn't the camera that shoots the picture but the person behind it, a great pic is a great pic ... that's it.
I would like to end with saying this; The advantage that the D350 has over the D70s or D50 is that you can buy a battery grip for it. These battery grips are as far I'm concerned not a waste of money. They add more stability and better grip as well + you are able to shoot constantly a whole day long
8)
Lots of luck with your purchase Dingo, you will end up with a great camera anyway!
Cheers