“I am a romantic adventurer by nature,” says Alex Waislitz. (Aaron Francis/The Australian)

The final frontier for Alex Waislitz

The billionaire investor has paddled down the Amazon and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro. He now has his eyes firmly set on space for both travel and investment.

Some of the most special and rewarding moments in Alex Waislitz’s life have been on thrill seeking adventures with his children.

In South America, they paddled down the Amazon river, in Antarctica they climbed Mount Vinson and cross-country skied to the South Pole, while in Tanzania they climbed the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro – rising above 4800 metres when you enter what’s called the “death zone” – where they all suffered bouts of vomiting, heavy-duty migraines and dehydration.

“The last day alone most of us in the party lost about three or four kilograms. I was in a bit of a trance, going in and out of reality. But we kept going and it was worth it at the end,’’ he says.

Now Waislitz is set for the biggest adventure experience of his life. His kids won’t be joining him this time, but he dreams that one day they will.

The billionaire investor is number 400 on the waiting list for a Virgin Galactic space flight, expected to take place early next year.

Waislitz put down a deposit for the trip several years ago, where those with the capacity to pay join two pilots in a six person module that super-powered by a rocket that takes them to the edge of space.

Earlier this year, the Richard Branson-backed Virgin Galactic revealed plans to open up ticket sales for the flights to the general public.

Read the article by Damon Kitney in The Australian.