Hi Kathy,

Good pics will come with proper lenses, strobes set to the proper settings, good technique, etc,etc.

You should be able to get REALLY good photos with the D90 by having a good lens, the right port, strobes and all using the right settings. One thing nice about DSLR's is right away you know how you screwed up, and can usually reshoot.

Perhaps you can try buying a used D90 and housing, that way when you are ready for Sulawesi, you can go with the D300 and not take too much of a loss.