Pete I would up your insurance, especially if you are cycling. If your home contents insurance doesn't cover all your gear whilst travelling take out a proper photographers insurance.
The one I have here in Holland covers everything, including theft from or damage to checked bags! It is really worth it if you have a lot of gear.
How many lenses are you planning on taking? I still think you should seriously consider how many you will actually use whilst away. It is very tempting to take everything with you but it tends to become just dead weight and is a lot to lug especially on a bike!
I would really wouldn't want to post any lenses. I don't know what the insurance is like on the service you are referring too, but I would be really worried about them. Plus I don't see how you could really overcome the customs problem. You can import goods personally (ie you carry them in) provided you also personally export them agai, without duty being due, bbut it would be very hard to prove you were doing this by posting stuff.

Honestly, I would consider taking less lenses! You are visiting family not going on a photo shoot.
Some airlines will allow camera equipment on board in addition to you hand luggage allowance, but you will still have to convince security to let two bags through.
Last year I fitted all I need for my trip to New England into my Tamrac backpack, including what I needed for the flight. I took just three lenses with me, of which I ended up using just two. And I took even less with me on safari in Tanzania earlier last year.

I have no idea why he was banned from the dpforums. I am not a member of them. I can only assume that mr Askey was not happy about it in some way. The above quote is from this forum, I put the wrong topic in my post above : https://www.pentaxuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=24482&highlight=#24482

From topic "The Switch":

Benjikan wrote:

Ben has already stated and makes no bones about his sponsorship - how else would he get to have lunch with Pentax? Previously he was sponsored by Canon I believe.
Most top photographers are sponsored by one camera company or another. Nothing new or unusual about it, except that Ben states it quite happily, whilst some others are reluctant to admit it.

I know someone here in Holland who regularly buys from Hong Kong. He has a regular contact there, who is well known in Dutch photographic circles. To overcome import duties and VAT things are sent via DHL and labelled as repairs. Just once was he phoned up by customs about a lens and he said yes it was sent there for repair and is now coming back. No problem. I am surprised the customs men don't react but they don't.
I would be more nervous of doing this personally, but maybe I am a wimp.

Your right - Aprilish, well it is now Mayish and no sign yet. Fingers crossed it comes out soon. It will be interesting to see if it has power zoom. If it does can I still use it with a Ds or not? I see they have an even longer Macro promised too.

I'm sure the lab won't miss it at weekends
I'm hoping one of the many new lenses Pentax are talking about is a 150mm macro. Having tried the Sigma 150mm Macro on a C%^&n at the weekend I would love one, but Sigma don't make it with a Pentax fitting.

And 25 new lenses.....if we are to believe this anyway.

http://ok1000.blogspot.com/2007/05/pentax-dslr-production-aiming-for-1.html

If you click on the image properties you see it was taken with a K10D. I think it's quite funny that he snapped this runner's Canon vest. Not all the runners are wearing them if you look at his slide show. He seems to be wearing a blue t-shirt, not a Pentax one sadly.