The D70 is an excellent camera Jewel. You can read a full review of it here...
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond70/
The NIkon D70 was brought out initially to compete in the price war with the Canon EOS 300D. It's worth noting that the 300D has now been replaced by the 350 which has 8 million pixel resolution as opposed to 6 million, so that's something else to consider depending on price of course. :wink:
I know you say photography is just a hobby, but if you invest wisely in a DSLR you are buying a camera you'll be unlikely to outgrow as your interest develops, and one which has an enormous back up system available of lenses and every conceivable attachment you could ever want,
A DSLR still represents a considerable chunk of money for most of us, so just pause now and have a good look at what your alternatives are in your price range. Another possibility is picking up a bargain priced EOS 10D as they are now being discounted with the new 20D on the market.
Happy shopping! 8)