His mother, a New Zealander, met his father when the 3rd Defense Battalion was deployed to Masterton, New Zealand, for rest and recovery following the successful conclusion of the Guadalcanal Campaign. When Creech was a few months old, the family returned to New Zealand, settling in Wairarapa where his father became a sheep and beef farmer. Creech received his primary education in Masterton and his secondary education in Wanganui at Wanganui Collegiate. Initially Creech farmed at his family farm before obtaining an agricultural qualification at Massey University.